


Number One Contender For My Heart

by guardianinthesky



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Wrestling, Anal Sex, Bottom Loki, Fluff and Angst, Hand Jobs, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Phone Sex, Rimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2016-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-08 11:55:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 259,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4304028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guardianinthesky/pseuds/guardianinthesky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki has never been into sports, but one day Amora drags him to a pro wrestling event, promising him lots of hot, sweaty guys. He finds himself less than impressed until a particular wrestler named Thor shows up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been talking about writing this story for quite some time now, and it's finally happening. This is WWE meets Marvel. I've been inspired by the wrestling I watch with my brother each week, but I've chosen to use characters from Marvel instead of actual wrestlers in this story. It's more fun that way. Oh, and if you want to listen to the song I've picked for Thor, [it would be this one.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmRUGqcsWOA) And I know nothing explicit happens in this chapter, but we'll get there soon, I promise.

Loki had never been into sports.

He didn’t like watching it, and he definitely didn’t like participating in it. He had been dragged to one football game in his life, and he had ended up absolutely hating it. There was too much screaming, too many stupid and obnoxious people around him, and the game itself had been boring to say the least. It just wasn’t for him.

So when he was asked by his friend Amora if he wanted to attend a pro wrestling event, he was not particularly enthusiastic about it. She was supposed to go with her sister, Lorelei, and they happened to have an extra ticket because one of their friends had bailed on them at the last minute. Amora assured him it could be fun, but Loki told her there was no way in hell he would be going. He didn’t like sports. He didn’t like wrestling. What could possibly make her think that he would enjoy _fake_ wrestling?

Unfortunately for him, he could only refuse Amora for so long. Somehow, she ended up convincing him to come along. She told him that it was actually kind of fun to watch, and that there would be a lot of hot, half-naked men. He could at least join them just for that. She also told him that she had felt the same way about wrestling before the first time she’d watched it, and if she had been able to change her mind, then he could too.

The next Monday, Loki hurried home from work and changed into something a bit more casual than the suit he had been wearing. He had a feeling that the people around him would be wearing sloppy, ugly clothes, so he definitely didn’t feel like he had to dress to impress anyone. Besides, it didn’t matter what he wore, he would still look better than them.

He met up with Amora and Lorelei outside, and together the three of them made their way into the arena. As soon as he began to look around, Loki realized that he was not meant to be there. The place was filled with guys who looked absolutely nothing like him. Most of them looked like they didn’t give a damn about their appearance, and many of them were wearing hideous t-shirts with ugly prints on them. He saw the same shirts several times, and he was beginning to realize that the shirts probably represented their favorite wrestlers. That made sense. Still, Loki had to scrunch his nose as he passed most of them. There were so many bright colors. Pink, blue, red, and even orange. What was wrong with a simple black shirt?

Once they had finally found their seats, Loki realized that they were sitting pretty close to the ring. Very close to the ring, in fact, compared to a lot of other people. He looked around and saw that some people were sitting very high up. What was the point? They couldn’t possibly be seeing anything from up there, could they? If Loki absolutely had to be here, then he wanted to at least be able to tell what was going on. Amora made him sit down next to her, and he brushed his fingers against his own knees as he looked at the many different signs people were holding up. It was difficult for him to read any of them, but he saw someone sitting close to him with a sign that said ‘I came to see the Black Widow’. Loki wasn’t sure who or what that was, and he shook his head as he turned his eyes away. This was bound to be stupid, wasn’t it? If there was a wrestler called Black Widow, then he was scared to find out what the rest of them called themselves.

He did see a lot of American flags, and he wondered if all of them simply happened to be overly patriotic, or if there was someone in the show who had some kind of American theme. He turned to Amora to ask her about it, and she nodded her head and told her they were probably cheering for Captain America. Loki immediately raised his brows at her.

“There is a wrestler named Captain America?”

She nodded her head, and Loki stared at her.

“That’s it,” he said, and pushed himself up. “I’m leaving.” But he didn’t have time to go anywhere before she grabbed his arm and made him sit back down again.

“Calm down, Loki,” she told him. “At least give it a chance. Besides, Captain America is totally your type. He’s blond, and he’s big.”

Loki couldn’t deny that she was right about that. Blond and big was definitely his type, and he supposed that he could stay a little while longer, just to find out if this guy was any good.

There was a tedious amount of waiting around, but then it was finally time for the show to start. Everyone seemed to be getting more excited, and Loki glanced over at Amora right before one of the commentators spoke up, welcoming everyone to Monday Night Raw. Loki had about a second to wonder why it was even called that before some loud music started, and the people around him started screaming. All of them were standing up, and Amora pulled on his arm to make him get up as well.

“That’s him!” she said loudly into his ear as the people with signs held them up, all desperate to get on camera. “That’s Cap!”

Out on stage came a blond man, just like Amora had promised him. His shorts had the American flag on them, which instantly made Loki roll his eyes and wonder how he was supposed to find him attractive when he was wearing that. He had paired the shorts with blue boots and kneepads, and Loki shook his head at Amora because she had really missed the mark with this one. Sure, he looked pretty good, but those shorts just completely cancelled out the rest of him. As he stepped into the ring, the crowd began to chant “USA! USA!” and Loki wondered why had decided to come. He wasn’t exactly ashamed of being American, but this was just ridiculous, and he judged every single person around him.

Captain America stepped into the ring and started talking about things that Loki didn’t care about. As far as he understood, someone had done something bad, and this Cap person was angry about it. He wanted justice, and he wanted it now. And then another song hit, and another wrestler came out. Were they finally about to start fighting? Not that Loki was excited about that either, but at least he wouldn’t have to listen to them. As soon as the match began, the two wrestlers started throwing each other around. The crowd seemed incredibly excited about almost every single move they made. Loki had to admit, some of the moves looked quite complicated, but he still didn’t understand what was so great about all of this. Maybe he could watch one match, but any more than that? No, he didn’t get it.

As the show went on, Loki decided that at least some of the wrestlers looked pretty good. He was sure they were still stupid as fuck, because why would anyone sign up for something like this if they weren’t an absolute idiot, but at least they were nice to look at. They also tended to be shirtless quite a bit, which he considered a plus. But that was about the only thing he liked. He didn’t pay much attention to the interviews, or the commentators. He glanced at his watch, and wondered how many more matches he would have to sit through. There had already been four. Surely, they couldn’t have many more than that? He was interrupted when another song hit, and this time a woman came out on stage. She had curly red hair, and the words on the monitor behind her informed Loki that this was the Black Widow the guy a couple of seats away from him had apparently been waiting for.

It seemed like it was time for two women to fight now, or ‘Divas’, as the ring announcer called them. Loki wondered why none of the men were called a diva. Some of them had certainly looked like that label would fit them perfectly.

The women definitely seemed to know some pretty complicated moves, and even though Loki didn’t swing that way he could still admit that they looked really good. He didn’t get to admire them for long, though, before the match was suddenly over after Black Widow had done some intricate move to get her opponent to tap. Loki blinked, and glanced down at his watch. How many minutes had that been? A lot of the other matches felt like they had dragged on forever, but this one could not have been more than five minutes. He almost wanted to ask Amora why that was, but he assumed it had something to do with them being women. Maybe they didn’t have the strength to go on any longer?

After that match, and after both women had left the ring, there was a bit of a break. The commentators were talking about some kind of event that was coming up while some generic music was playing, and Loki decided he didn’t need to listen to that, which was why he reached for his phone. Before he had time to pull it out, Amora leaned closer and asked him if he was enjoying the show so far. Loki gave her an unimpressed look, his lips pressed tightly together and his eyebrows raised.

“Not exactly,” he informed her. “Is this all they do? Just pretend to fight each other? It’s stupid. I don’t even understand why-“

But he didn’t get to finish his complaint before he was interrupted by an incredibly loud crack of thunder, and suddenly everyone around him was screaming louder than they had the entire show. Loki looked around as they all stood up, still shouting uncontrollably as the entire arena went dark. There were several quick flashes of light, and then the music started up. It was an instrumental track this time. It sounded epic, and… almost powerful. He could feel the drums and the beat vibrating in his chest. He couldn’t really focus on that, though. No, what he focused on was the man who had just come out, standing there on the stage. He had long, blond hair, and was hiding his body underneath a red cape. As soon as he threw that off, people cheered even louder, and Loki understood why. The man was tanned, had arms about the size of Loki’s head, and was wearing some kind of dark blue leathery outfit which covered almost his entire body except for those arms.  

‘Thor’ was the name being shown behind him, and Loki stood up, watching with slightly wider than usual eyes as Thor slowly began to make his way down the ramp. The people close to the ramp were all reaching out for him, probably hoping that he would high-five them, but Thor did no such thing. He kept his arms by his sides as he strutted past them, the music still booming throughout the arena as he moved up the steps and into the ring. He took a quick look around at the crowd before he hurried forward and climbed the ropes, stretching one of his muscular arms above his head as the audience screamed for him. Loki followed his every move, tilting his head to the side as he wondered where they had been hiding this guy. He clearly should have been involved in every fucking match.

The guys on commentary, whom Loki had barely been listening to before this point, were saying something about Thor finally being back, and Loki turned confused eyes to Amora.

“What does that mean?” he asked, and looked over at Thor, watching as he jumped back down onto the mat.

“Why are they saying he’s back?”

Amora shrugged without giving him as much of a glance. “He’s been gone for a couple of months. There was some kind of injury involved. He hurt his arm. But he’s back now, and let me be the first to say that he’s looking better than ever.”

Loki silently agreed with her, even though he had no idea what Thor had looked like before. He certainly didn’t look like an injured man now, though, and he assumed that Thor was in good shape. He had to be, right? With those fucking muscles.

Since he had been so busy focusing on Thor, he hadn’t noticed that another wrestler had made his way into the ring. He only noticed it when Thor turned to look at him, a small smirk on his lips as he gazed at his opponent. He was about a head shorter than Thor, and Loki figured that he was about to get his ass kicked. There was no way Thor would lose to this guy, right? Scripted or not, that just wasn’t believable.

Loki’s body was thrumming as he watched the two of them, and Amora actually had to tug on his wrist to make him sit back down again. He glanced over at the big monitors, and finally caught a good look at Thor’s face. His eyes looked incredibly blue, even from a distance, and he was half convinced that they must have done something to them. Thor must have been wearing contacts or something. Maybe that was part of his character? Thor was still watching his opponent with an intense look on his face, and Loki could have sworn he heard someone shouting ‘Thor will kill you!’ and then clapping his hands together five times after that.

“The following contest is scheduled for one fall,” the ring announcer began, looking between the two wrestlers. She went on to announce their weights and where they were from, but Loki wasn’t paying attention to anything but Thor. He wasn’t even paying attention to what the audience was screaming. The only thing he cared about was that Thor looked like an animal. A big, bloodthirsty animal who was just waiting to attack its prey. He was even pacing back and forth on his side of the ring, never taking his eyes off the other wrestler.

Loki was only snapped out of his thoughts when the bell rang, and he immediately straightened up a bit so that he would be able to see better. As soon as they were allowed to start moving, the two wrestlers began to circle each other, and the smaller one seemed to do everything he could to jump out of Thor’s way. That only lasted a couple of seconds before Thor managed to grab onto him and hold him in some sort of headlock. They were standing pretty still for a moment, and then Thor pushed him away, only to pull him back so that he could lift him up and throw him over his shoulder. It looked like a pretty hard fall, and the other guy remained on the mat for a couple of seconds, but as Thor walked closer, he somehow managed to get his legs up and kick him away. Thor backed off, resting against the ropes and taking another moment to glance around as the crowd continued to cheer.

The other man stumbled over to the ropes, holding on to them as he attempted to presumably get his strength back. Thor rushed forward and used his arm to push him over to the ropes, and Loki raised his eyebrows as he quickly followed him out of the ring. He stalked over to him and quickly grabbed him by the waist, easily lifting him up and throwing him against the barricade this time.

The rest of the match was much the same. Thor was dominating pretty much the entire thing. The other guy never even stood a chance. Sure, he managed to get some kicks in, but Thor quickly bounced back again, and only seemed to get more dangerous the more frustrated he got.

Loki thought it was absolutely fascinating to watch him. Even though he was big, clearly a lot bigger than the other guy, he was still relatively fast. He had noticed from watching some of the other big guys that they tended to be a little slower, but Thor had no trouble keeping up with his opponent, who - whenever he wasn’t getting beaten up by Thor - was trying his best to stay in the air as much as possible. He jumped from the ropes several times, but it didn’t seem to do him much good. At some point he threw himself at Thor, who managed to catch him midair, and he held on to him as the crowd screamed once more. There was another smirk on his face before he threw the guy over his shoulder. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, and Loki found himself wishing that Thor had been wearing a little less. Surely this whole thing would have looked even better if he had been shirtless?

Thor stepped back and waited for the guy to get up again, and there was an excited murmur going through the crowd, as if they knew exactly what was about to happen. Once the guy had stumbled back onto his feet, Thor simply waited for him to turn around before he moved forward and lifted him back up again. Immediately, a lot of people were on their feet, and Loki glanced around him as he wondered what they were waiting for this time. But then he realized, because a moment later Thor had thrown the guy down once again. It had happened so fast that Loki had almost missed it, and he cursed himself for not paying attention. Even more people stood up as Thor went for the cover, holding the guy’s shoulders down as he waited for the referee to count by hitting the mat. One, two, three, and it was over. The bell rang again, and Thor immediately pushed himself up, a big smile on his face as he raised his fist into the air. It was almost a bit strange to suddenly see him looking so excited, and Loki slowly tilted his head to the side, unable to stop himself from licking his lips when Thor ran his fingers through his wet hair to push it out of his face.

“Here is your winner… Thor!” the ring announcer called out, and the crowd cheered loudly as Thor’s music started up. Thor climbed back onto the ropes and posed once again as he smiled at the crowd, and Loki glanced over at the monitors just to get a better look at him. Thor stood there for a long moment before he jumped back down and stepped closer to the announce table, holding his hand out as if he expected them to give him something.

Loki frowned lightly, wondering if he was looking for some sort of reward, and quickly decided that he would be more than willing to give it to him. A second later, he noticed that Thor was handed a microphone, and he realized that he was about to hear Thor speak. For some reason, he found that he was incredibly excited about that. Going by the groans and grunts Thor had made while he’d been wrestling, he was sure he was going to love his voice.

Thor stepped back into the middle of the ring again, which was now empty since his opponent had chosen to roll out of it. He held the microphone up, and the crowd cheered, eagerly waiting to hear whatever he was about to say. Thor waited a long moment before he spoke, either to create some tension or to tease the lot of them because he must have known they were all on the edge of their seats.

“I’m back,” he finally said, and the audience cheered again, a lot of them chanting his name, but Loki was barely able to concentrate on any of that. No, all he could focus on was how deep Thor’s voice had been. It had been deep, and rough, and he had also sounded a little out of breath. As he sat there, Loki couldn’t help but wonder what that deep voice would sound like whispered into his ear.

Thor moved out of the ring as some other song began to play, and the commentators began to speak once more about how exciting it was that Thor was back, and what an incredible match it had been. This time, Loki noticed that Thor made sure to high-five a couple of people on his way out, mostly focusing on the kids, and he shook his head as he watched him leave.

“Are you okay, Loki?” Amora asked, and Loki slowly turned his eyes away from the stage.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“You’re looking a little flushed.” She gave him a knowing smile, and Loki looked away.  

“It’s just a little hot in here,” he muttered and rubbed his hand against his throat.

“Sure it is,” she said, and he threw a quick glare at her.

 

So that was the first time he saw Thor. But it was far from the last time. As soon as he got back home that night, he grabbed his laptop and put it on his desk. Once he had made himself a cup of tea, he sat down and did a quick search for ‘Thor WWE’. Of course, he got a lot of different results. First, he visited Wikipedia, where he found out how old he was, and that Thor was actually his real name. Apparently he’d used other names while wrestling in the past, which didn’t make any sense to Loki because if you had a name like Thor, why not use it? Good thing he had come to his senses.

He also found out that Thor had been born in Sweden, which Loki supposed explained the blond hair and the blue eyes. He had moved to America with his parents at the age of five. He was an only child, and his parents had not been particularly happy about him deciding to become a wrestler. Still, he’d started out training with friends in school before he’d moved on to independent wrestling, slowly but surely making a name for himself. And now he’d been with the WWE for three years. He was one of the most popular wrestlers they had, and was on his way to possibly becoming the face of the company, despite the fact that he’d only held one championship.  

As much as Loki thought it was interesting to know more about Thor, that really wasn’t what he was looking for at the moment, and he quickly left Wikipedia for Youtube. He searched for the same thing, and licked his lips as he scrolled through the results. There were so many things to choose from. There were entire matches, which tended to last at least ten minutes, and also shorter videos like promos, interviews, or things that happened backstage. He even found a top five list of Thor’s most badass moment, and Loki couldn’t help himself. He just had to click that one. He leaned closer to his laptop as he watched, his cup of tea forgotten as Thor threw someone through a table, jumped from a ladder and landed on a bunch of other wrestlers, and fought someone on top of a big steel cage. He even had a moment where he wasn’t even wrestling. It looked like something happening backstage. Loki didn’t really understand what was going on, but it looked like two other wrestlers were arguing, only for Thor to show up and basically stare at them until they were both so damn scared they had to leave. Well, he certainly looked very powerful. Loki couldn’t blame them from leaving, even if he didn’t think that he would have left. He probably would have just dared Thor to come closer. He could throw him through a table any day.

Loki finally took a big sip of his tea, and decided that he wanted to see Thor in action again. He picked a random match that wasn’t too long, and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched it. He honestly didn’t give a fuck about anything else that was going on, and he definitely wasn’t paying attention to anything the commentators were saying. The only thing he cared about was Thor. The almost animalistic look on his face at times, along with the grunts he was making… Loki wondered if this could be considered porn. Either way, it was making him want to touch himself. But he didn’t want to seem like some horny teenager. Not that anyone would know, but Loki had a feeling that he would be judging _himself_ if he touched himself while looking at some videos of a stupid wrestler.

Finally, he found a video that apparently showed Thor getting hurt. He could remember what Amora had mentioned, that he had been gone for a couple of months, and he wondered if this was the moment where his accident had happened. Since he figured that he couldn’t possibly find this kind of thing to be hot, he clicked on the video.

Oh, how wrong he had been.

In the video, Thor was fighting some wrestler that actually looked bigger than him. Not necessarily more muscly, just bigger. The two of them were really going at it. There were chairs involved, and tables as well, and they seemed to have no problem using those things to hurt each other. At some point, Thor was thrown against a ladder by the other wrestler, and you could clearly see his arm bending the wrong way. Loki grimaced, and assumed that would be enough to stop the match, but it kept going. In fact, it kept going for another three minutes. Thor didn’t even seem to notice that he’d hurt his arm. He was clearly trying to use it a little less as he moved the other guy around, but other than that? Other than that, he barely showed any signs of pain, not until the other guy had finally managed to hold him down long enough for the referee to count to three. So Thor’s last match had been a loss for him. No wonder he’d looked so happy to be back earlier. He was probably in the mood for revenge. Loki assumed as much, at least. He didn’t really know how these things worked. Did they have aborted storylines just like on TV? Or would Thor pick up from where he’d left off?

Loki quickly decided that he didn’t care. Or that he shouldn’t care. Why was he getting so worked up over this? It was just a wrestler. Sure, he was hot, and blond, and very big, but that didn’t mean anything. It was still stupid. The whole thing was stupid.

He glanced down at his watch and realized he should have been in bed hours ago. His tea had gone cold, and he put his laptop away again before he headed into the kitchen to pour it out. This was it. No more Thor. He was not going to let himself get dragged into this, no matter what Amora told him. Wrestling really wasn’t for him. It seemed stupid, and ridiculous, and there was no reason for him to keep thinking about it. And by it, he meant Thor. He could always find hot guys somewhere else.

While heading into his bedroom, Loki did his absolute best not to think about Thor. He did not think about his smile, or his voice, or those damn arms. He did not think about what it would have been like to be pinned down by Thor. He did not wonder what Thor looked like underneath that costume. He especially did not wonder if the rest of him was as big as his arms, or what Thor would look like naked. Or what he would look like naked after a match, his whole body covered in a sheen of sweat, that animalistic look still evident in his eyes as he...

When Loki finally couldn’t stand it anymore, he muttered a quiet curse as he wrapped a trembling hand around his erection. As he started stroking himself, he decided that the next time he saw Amora, he was definitely going to yell at her. Or thank her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologize for this chapter taking so long. The original plan was to post one chapter a week, but that clearly didn't happen. I explained why on [my tumblr](http://guardianinthesky.tumblr.com/post/125364936705/just-felt-like-i-needed-to-say-something-about-my), but to make a long story short I lost everything I'd written, so I had to rewrite this whole thing. This chapter was meant to be longer, but I figured it was better to split it into two different ones instead. I hope you'll like it!

Loki tried to stay true to his own promise. He really did. Unfortunately for him, forgetting about Thor was clearly a lot easier said than done. He kept thinking about him, but at least he managed to go one whole week without looking him up again, which he was quite proud of himself for. Not that he had much of a choice. There was so much going on at work right now, he simply didn’t have time to watch wrestling videos on youtube.

The following Monday was no different. Work was crazy, and when Loki finally got back to his apartment, he was feeling absolutely exhausted. He let his jacket fall to the floor before he stepped into the living room and made his way over to the couch to eat the greasy burger he’d picked up on his way home. As he glanced down at his watch, he realized that they had to be showing wrestling on TV. He had been to that show last Monday, and it had started at eight. It was now eight fifteen. Loki hesitated for quite a few seconds before he aimed the remote at the TV. He wasn’t entirely sure where he would be able to find it, and he ignored his bag as he flipped through the channels, ignoring the game shows and the documentaries as he waited to see if he could… Aha! There was no way that the half naked men on the screen could be anything else.

Loki put the remote down and reached for his bag, focusing on his food as soon as he realized that Thor wasn’t in this match. He recognized Captain America, but not the other two, and he decided to ignore it for now in favor of taking a first bite of his burger. Oh, God, that was good. It was salty, and greasy, and there was probably too much cheese on it, but it was exactly what he had needed right now. He just wanted one more thing. Hopefully, he hadn’t missed him already, but there was no way he could’ve already been out there, right? It had only been about fifteen minutes. This had to be the first match.

Loki kept focusing on his burger and his fries, throwing a glance over at the TV every now and then as he ate. He had almost finished his burger when he heard that familiar music, and he leaned forward, watching with his eyebrows raised as Thor came out. But he wasn’t walking this time. He was running. Why was he running? Loki stared at the TV, what was left of his hamburger forgotten in his right hand, as Thor jumped into the ring and went straight for one of the wrestlers.

“It’s Thor!” one of the commentators shouted excitedly. “Out here saving his old friend and tag team partner!”

“I guess he hasn’t forgotten what Cap did for him during his last match with Doom,” another one of them said. “Cap  saved him back then. Now it looks like he’s returning the favor.”

So Thor was saving Captain America? Well, that would explain why he had been running. As soon as Thor had managed to push the other two wrestlers away, he helped Cap to his feet, and the two of them shared a look before they turned their eyes to the other two wrestlers, who had rolled out of the ring by now. Cap’s music started playing as they walked away, practically hanging their heads in shame, and Thor and Cap shared a brief hug as the audience cheered. After a couple of replays, they cut to the commentators, and Loki frowned lightly.

That couldn’t possibly be it, right? Thor had to have a match of his own. He had been waiting a whole week. Why would they only give him a couple of minutes? But then one of the commentators mentioned that Thor would be having another match later, against someone named Kurse. At least he would be fighting someone who looked like he could actually put up a good fight. His last opponent had been way too small for him. Kurse was big. Possibly even bigger than Thor.

Since Thor’s match wasn’t up next, Loki leaned back against the couch and finished the rest of his burger and his fries. He even had time for a quick bathroom break before he finally heard Thor’s music hit once more. This time, he was walking, and Loki got the chance to really admire him, everything from his golden skin, to his big arms, to his piercing blue eyes.. Seeing him live had been incredible, but it was a lot easier to really be able to look at him now that he was gifted with close ups and good angles.

As Thor made his way into the ring, Loki noticed something he hadn’t noticed when he’d looked him up online. Thor had braids. He had tiny braids in his long hair, and there was no way he’d had those before. Or maybe he’d had them last week, and he just hadn’t spotted them? That was possible. So he had decided to add braids to his look? Loki had to admit, they suited him, and he suddenly wondered what it would be like to run his fingers through Thor’s golden mane. He had been forced to braid Amora’s hair a couple of times when they were kids, and he still remembered how to do it. If Thor wanted someone to do it for him, Loki would happily volunteer. Actually, there were a number of things he would have been more than happy to volunteer for. Like getting Thor into that tight costume. It clung so perfectly to his muscular legs and thighs, and not to mention his chest. If only Loki could have been responsible for getting that on. And off. Off would be even better. He would have killed for a chance to be the one who got to dress and undress Thor. And since Thor seemed to prefer wet hair when he was wrestling, maybe they could have taken a nice shower together before his match? Okay, now he was letting his imagination run away with him. He needed to focus on the match.

Kurse - who had made his way into the ring while Loki had been busy daydreaming - was admittedly a little bigger than Thor, and he did look quite intimidating, but Thor could still beat him, Loki was sure of it. He didn’t look quite as cocky as he had done last week, though, and Loki couldn’t possibly blame him for that. He was most likely in for quite a fight. At least he looked ready. He stretched his arms as they were introduced, and Loki couldn’t stop himself from licking his lips at the sight.

A moment later, the bell rang, and the two of them immediately stepped forward and put their hands on each other’s shoulders. They reminded Loki of two very large, angry animals. Like two bulls or something, each one trying his best to intimidate the other. Thor did manage to get the upper hand, and it probably had something to do with the fact that he was faster. While the other guy seemed strong, he couldn’t quite keep up with Thor’s speed. Thor circled around Kurse and managed to kick his back, getting him down on his stomach before he ran towards the ropes, He used them to bounce himself back, and let himself fall on top of Kurse, hitting his elbow against his back. He did it again, and again, until finally Kurse managed to roll out of his way. Thor was just about to attack again when there was another strange sound. What was that music? Neither of them seemed to be reacting to it, but Loki could definitely hear it.

To his own shame, it actually took him about thirty seconds or so before he realized that the music he was hearing wasn’t coming from the TV. It was coming from his own damn phone. He rushed over to grab his jacket and get the phone before he hurried back into the living room, answering the phone as he nearly stumbled back down on to the couch.

“What?” he asked, sounding just as annoyed as he felt.

“Are you watching it?” came Amora’s voice, and Loki froze, quickly turning his eyes away from the TV.

“Watching what?” he asked as he began to almost frantically searched for the remote, knowing very well that f Amora knew he was watching it, he would never ever hear the end of it.

“Thor’s match is on right now. Are you watching it?”

“No,” Loki snapped, and made a face as a loud cheer and a yell came from the TV.

He could practically hear the grin that was currently forming on Amora’s lips.

“You are watching it, aren’t you? I knew it. He looks good, doesn’t he? Did you see the braids? I didn’t see the braids last week, but they suit him.”

Of course, Loki had been thinking the exact same thing a couple of minutes ago, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. Instead, he gave up on his search for the remote and sat back down again, sighing in frustration as he turned back to the match, watching as Thor was tackled against one of the corners of the ring.

“It’s not like I started watching it on purpose,” he defended himself. “I was just flipping through the channels because I wanted to watch something while I ate. It’s not my fault there was nothing else to watch.”

“Oh, sure,” Amora said. “That’s totally believable. Why don’t you just admit that you have the hots for him? It couldn’t be more obvious.”

Loki muttered something under his breath and shook his head as he ran his fingers through his hair. He slowly moved his hand down his cheek and over to his mouth, barely noticing as he rubbed one of his fingers against his bottom lip. Thor didn’t seem particularly upset about the fact that he was currently getting beaten up. In fact, he had a grin on his face, and Loki quickly tried to tell himself that the grin did not make him look hotter.

“I really don’t understand why you’re fighting this.It’s okay to have a crush on a wrestler, you know. I mean, just imagine the things he could do to you.”

‘I already have’, Loki wanted to say, but managed to hold himself back. The most important thing right now was to not give Amora any further reasons to tease him about this. It was better for him to keep his mouth shut and watch the match. Thor had just managed to lift Kurse up, and he held him over his head for quite a long moment - probably just to show off - before he threw him down on the mat.

“See? With all of that strength, I bet he would be amazing in the bedroom. Cap is hot, but he looks a lot more vanilla to me. Thor looks like he wouldn’t mind something a little rougher and kinkier. Just imagine waiting backstage for him after a match like this. He would still have so much energy left, and there would be no better way for him than to take it all out on you. He would just hold you down and fuck you, give you the kind of pounding you so desperately need. He would take, and take, and take, and you would love every second of it.”

“Please, stop,” Loki groaned.

“Why?” Amora asked, and once again Loki was about ninety nine percent sure that she had a big grin on her face. “Do you want me to stop because I’m embarrassing you, or because the thought of this happening to you is so amazing you’re actually getting turned on right now?”

Loki quickly decided that cutting out his own tongue would have been easier than telling her the truth, which was why he once again refused to answer her. The two of them remained silent as they watched the rest of the match, and Loki tried not to make any outraged noises when Thor got pinned and lost. He did frown at the screen, though, and wondered if they were trying to make him look weak. Why else would they make him lose his second match after he had just returned? It seemed like most of the crowd agreed with him, since a lot of them looked displeased. Kurse wasn’t finished, though. Even though the bell had rung and the match was over, he bent down, pressing his knee to Thor’s chest to stop him from getting up as he delivered one blow after the other.

Where the hell was Cap now? Thor had just rescued him, shouldn’t he return the favor? What kind of shitty friend was he? But instead of Cap making another appearance, five referees came running down to the ring, and together they all tried to get Kurse to step away from Thor. They managed to pull him off, and two of them escorted him back out as the rest of them examined Thor, who was still lying flat on his back.

“He’s not really hurt, is he?” Loki asked.

“No, of course not,” Amora said. “Sometimes they get hurt, but nothing serious happened. He’s fine. It’s all part of the act. There’s no reason for you to worry, Loki.”

“I’m not worried,” Loki pointed out, and stood up as soon as there was another commercial break. He headed into the kitchen for something to drink, and wondered if Amora was officially done with the teasing, or if she was just waiting to get a second round started. Just as he opened the fridge to grab his bottle of water, she spoke up again.

“He looks pretty bad, doesn’t he? I guess he wouldn’t be able to give you that rough pounding after all. But you know what? This could just lead to a whole other scenario. Think about this instead - think about them taking him backstage and patching him up, and then they leave you alone with him so that you can make him feel better. Since he can’t really move around, you have to take care of him, meaning that you can do pretty much anything you want. You can worship every inch of his body. Doesn’t that sound like fun? I know I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on him.”

Loki snapped out of his own thoughts to realize that he was rubbing the cold bottle against his cheek, and he quickly pulled it away and took a sip of the water instead.

“What about his dick? How big do you think it is?”

Loki cursed as he ended up nearly choking on the water he had been trying to drink, and he let out several loud coughs. Amora didn’t seem to mind, since she kept going without acknowledging his noises.

“It’s too bad he hasn’t done any porn. I’ve seen some of the other wrestlers naked, but Thor is a mystery. Have you seen him shirtless? Pleas tell me you’ve seen pictures of him when he’s shirtless?”

Loki let out another cough, and rubbed his hand against his throat before he answered her. “Yes, I’ve seen a picture of him. He looked… big.”

“And he’s even bigger now,” Amora pointed out. “It’s like I told you, he’s looking better than ever. But let’s pretend, just for fun, that he does have a big dick… Let’s face it, anything else would be a disappointment. Still, how much would you pay to play with that?”

“You’re insane,” Loki said, and walked back into the living room, carrying the bottle in one hand and his phone in the other.

"Yeah, but you like it," Amora said. "Besides, it's not like you’re some poor, sweet, innocent little thing. How long did it take you to start thinking about him while you were touching yourself? A couple of days? A couple of hours?"

Loki kept his lips pressed tightly together.

"Come on, Loki. You might as well tell me. We both know I'll never let it go."

Yes, Loki knew she would never let it go. But he also knew she would never let it go if he did tell her.  

"I plead the Fifth," he said, before quickly hanging up and tossing the phone aside. There. Now he didn’t have to deal with her questions. At least not until she called him again.

About two seconds later, his phone started buzzing again.

He gave it an unimpressed look and ignored the music as he turned his eyes to the TV. Now that Thor was no longer on, he saw no reason to keep watching. He turned it off and went to get his laptop, figuring that he might as well get some work done. And he would not be googling Thor again. He would not. At least not until he had finished everything else he needed to do.

Somehow, Loki ended up watching again the next week. And the week after that. And the week after that. It took him about a month to realize that he was hooked. Or at least before he was able to admit it to himself. And to his utter shame, he had gone from watching nothing but Thor’s matches, to watching the whole show. He couldn’t help it, okay? It was addicting. And it made sense. After all, Loki had always been a fan of soap operas. Not that he had ever said that out loud. If anyone asked him what shows he liked to watch, he gave a more sophisticated answer than that, but the truth was that he’d been watching them since he was a teenager. He had been home sick one day, and he’d happened to catch the last couple of minutes of one of the more popular ones. After that day, he had quickly realized that he had to know if that one guy really had died, and if that woman would realize that her husband was sleeping with her twin sister.

And while wrestling didn’t always take it that far, it really was like a soap opera a lot of the time. Some of the storylines were ridiculous. There were betrayals, and faked deaths, and men and women hooking up with different people every week. He loved it. He didn’t pay attention to every single match they showed, but the storylines? He was paying attention to most of them. At least the ones that interested him.

The more he watched, the more he learned about it. It didn’t take him very long to find out that there was a Raw, which was the one he had been watching, and that there was also a Smackdown, which was shown every Thursday. He also learned that the good guys were called faces, and that the bad guys were called heels, but it didn’t seem like anyone was actually calling them that, except for the people online. Obviously, Thor was a face. He was a good guy through and through, though unlike Cap, it seemed like he was capable of some grey morality at times, which Loki enjoyed. He was pretty sure that he would have enjoyed him a lot less if he had turned out to be nothing but a golden boy. He enjoyed a little bit of a bad side.

As for Thor’s storyline, he found out some things by watching the show, and some things by the many visits he made to various discussion boards. Apparently, just like he had predicted, Thor was out for revenge. That was his storyline at the moment. At the beginning of the year, he had gotten hurt in that match, which had led to him missing Wrestlemania - the biggest event they had. It was big enough that even Loki had heard about it before this. Thor had been winning a lot of matches, and he had been scheduled to fight the Intercontinental Champion. But then he had gotten hurt, and he had been unable to compete. All because of The Hulk. Yes, that was the name of the wrestler he had been fighting. He was a big guy. Huge, in fact. And usually very angry. He almost never spoke, and Loki found him to be incredibly dull. At the same time, he could understand why he was a formidable opponent. So Thor wanted a rematch. He wanted a rematch to show Hulk that he was not afraid of him, and that he could most certainly defeat him. Eventually, he got his chance. There was actually a pay-per-view event called Payback, which was almost too perfect to be true, wasn’t it?

Thor and Hulk were supposed to fight, and Loki was more excited about that than he should have been. He even considered getting tickets, but he didn’t have time to fly all the way to California. Not even for Thor. Instead, he watched it with Amora, and the two of them ate their way through three whole bowls of popcorn as they cheered for their favorites. Well, Loki had one favorite, but he had other people he liked as well. Nothing was more important than Thor’s match, though, which happened to be the main event, meaning that it was the last match of the night. When it finally came on, Loki tried not to look too excited as he clenched his hands into fists while resting them on his lap. Thor had to win. He had to.

The Hulk looked really big next to him. In fact, he almost managed to make Thor look small. But his size did nothing to help with his speed. Thor was much faster than him, and it was relatively easy for him to stay out of his way. Once Hulk did manage to grab on to him, though, he could do a lot of damage. There were several times where Loki’s heart almost jumped out of his chest because he was so sure that Thor would lose, but he always kicked out. Finally, he managed to gather what was left of his strength, and the whole audience rose to their feet as he picked Hulk up over his shoulders. Once he’d pinned him to the mat, that was it. It was over. The bell rang, and Loki stood up without even thinking about it, shouting “Yes!” embarrassingly loudly. He was about to explain himself when he realized that Amora was also on her feet, and the two of them shared a hug as Thor climbed the ropes and raised his fist into the air.

Just a couple of weeks later, it was time for another pay-per-view. This one was called Elimination Chamber. Loki had looked it up online, and it looked… strange. It certainly didn’t look like normal wrestling matches. Basically, a giant cage surrounded the ring, and in this cage there were several smaller cages made of glass, where six wrestlers would be locked up. One after one, they would be released from their cages, and the winner would be the last one standing. It seemed kind of complicated, but since Thor was going to be in one of these matches, Loki was more than willing to give it a go. Besides, he was watching wrestling every Monday and Thursday now. Of course he wouldn’t miss something like this.

This time, Amora couldn’t watch with him since she had to work, so he was left on his own. There were a couple of normal matches first, which he didn’t pay much attention to, until it was finally time for Thor’s match. He entered his smal cage, and looked out at his opponents, who happened to be Hawkeye, Rhodes, Deadpool, Crossbones, and Doom, who was the current Intercontinental Champion.

Hawkeye and Doom got to start the match, and Loki rubbed his hands together as he waited for Thor to be released from his cage. But the next one to be released was Crossbones, and then it was Deadpool’s turn, and after that it was Rhodes. Thor was the last one to still be in his cage, and while Loki felt like he should have been disappointed by that, he couldn’t possibly be. Not when Thor looked like a feral beast, simply waiting to be let out so that he could get to fight. It seemed like the audience liked it this way too. It was more exciting to save the biggest guy for last. Thor wasn’t moving either. He was just standing there, smirking as he watched the other three fight (two had already been eliminated). When the signal was finally heard and he was allowed to step out into the bigger cage, Loki abandoned the couch and crawled across the room as he moved over to the TV. He had to see this up close. Thor immediately got to work, not wasting any time as he managed to eliminate Rhodes after a minute. After that, he only had Crossbones and Doom left, and Loki’s heart started beating faster. Could he actually make it? He fought Crossbones for a while before he eliminated him as well, and then he only had one more left. Doom.

“Come on,” Loki muttered. “You can do it. I know you can. Fucking take him. Kill that bastard.”

Thor did his best. He tried pinning Doom a couple of times, but to no avail. He just couldn’t make him stay down. But then he managed to stun him. Doom was standing with his back to him, looking confused and out of it, and Thor was just about to attack him when he suddenly turned around and delivered a high kick, and as soon as he lifted him up, Loki knew it was over.

Thor got pinned.

Loki closed his eyes, tilting his head down as he let out a frustrated sigh. Damn. He glared at the TV as Doom’s music played, and quickly tried to find the remote. He didn’t want to listen to it. Thor looked really disappointed as Doom made his way out of the cage. He pushed himself up and banged his fist against the glass, and Doom turned around, smirking at him as he held up his championship.

What an asshole. Thor should have won. He clearly should have won, and Loki didn’t care what anyone else would have to say about it. He sat there for quite a few minutes, cursing the match, and Doom, and the ones who had decided he should win.

Stupid wrestling.

With another frustrated sigh, Loki picked up his laptop and turned off the lights before he walked into his bedroom, figuring he might as well make himself feel better by watching some videos of Thor winning. And then maybe, just maybe, he would think about what Amora had told him, and imagine what he could have done to cheer Thor up.


	3. Chapter 3

They were coming back.

They were going to shoot another Raw close to where he lived. The only problem was that they wouldn’t be shooting it in New York. They would be doing it in New Jersey, and Loki really did not want to go to New Jersey. He hadn’t been there in months, and he usually tried to make any excuse not to go. But this was for Thor. How could he stay at home and watch him on TV, when he knew he would be close enough for him to go see him live?

Amora was the one who told him about it. She texted him one evening, letting him know that if he wanted a chance to drool over Thor in person, he would soon be getting it. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t be able to join him, because she was supposed to go to Paris with her boyfriend, a trip they had been planning for months.

‘Just my luck, huh?’ she wrote to him.

Since Loki didn’t have anyone else he would want to go with, there was really only one option left. He would have to go alone. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to facing all of those stupid fans on his own, but what other choice did he have? He refused to stay home. He had to see him again.

As so, it was decided. He would be going to see Raw on his own. But he still had a couple of weeks left. And another pay-per-view to watch. This one was called… Money in the Bank. Once again, he made sure to look it up online, and it seemed like the match the event was named after included a lot of ladders. As far as he understood it, there would be a briefcase hanging above the ring, and the wrestlers were supposed to climb up and get it. Whoever did get it, was now Mr. Money in the Bank. Basically, the briefcase was a ticket to becoming the next World Heavyweight Champion. At any point in the following year, the one holding the briefcase could choose to cash it in, and get a chance to become the next champion by defeating the current one. Of course, that was a pretty big deal, because it seemed like more often than not, the one with the briefcase did usually get to become the next champion.

Luckily, Thor would be in that match, which meant that he would get a chance to collect that briefcase. As for the rest of them? Well, he would be fighting against Falcon, Deadpool, Gambit, Bullseye, and the Hulk. Loki wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Hulk and Thor were the biggest and strongest ones there, which should have given them the upper hand, but the rest of them were smaller and faster, which would probably make it easier for them to get up those ladders. Still, this was Thor’s chance, and Loki believed in him. People were always saying that he would eventually get his big chance, and this was it. He could totally win this.

He spent most of that Sunday preparing for the show. His preparations basically consisted of him trying to stay calm. He knew it was stupid to get so worked up about a wrestling match, but he really wanted Thor to win. He had lost far too many matches lately.

Finally, it was time, and he made himself comfortable on his couch, ignoring the big bag of chips he had bought for now. The event started with a tag team match, and then it was time for Doom to defend his championship. After that, Black Widow teamed up with Storm in another tag team match against Karnilla and Mystique, and the four of them put on quite an impressive show. Loki started munching on the chips at some point in the next hour, and didn’t stop until it was finally time for the Money in the Bank match. Thor looked just as impressive as always, of course, and there was a small smile on his lips as a section of the audience began to chant his name.

As the match got started, Loki had some trouble keeping up because there were so many people in the ring. All of them tried to go for the ladder, but of course none of them ended up getting it. After a couple of minutes, most of them had been thrown out, and only Hulk and Falcon were left fighting each other. Hulk ended up picking Falcon up and throwing him out, and he let out a roar before he picked up the tallest ladder and set it up in the middle of the ring. He slowly began to climb up, his eyes on the briefcase, and Loki leaned closer to the TV, waiting for someone to stop him. Luckily, Thor managed to get back in, and he climbed up on the other side of the ladder. As soon as he was at the top, the two of them started exchanging blows, both of them trying to get the other one to fall down.

Loki just barely managed to stop himself from screaming as Thor looked to be stumbling. Luckily, he ended up taking the Hulk with him, and the two of them fell back down on the mat with a loud noise. They both rolled out of the ring, giving the smaller guys a chance to shine. The four of them went at it for quite some time, all of them trying to get that ladder. Falcon even threw some more ladders into the ring, but it was difficult for either one of them to get a chance to climb when there was always someone there to stop them.

Loki was simply waiting for Thor to get back up again, which he eventually did. Falcon and Gambit were at the top, both trying to take down the other, when Thor appeared below them. He grabbed the ladder, grinning as he pushed it forward, and the audience cheered as both Gambit and Falcon fell from the ladder out of the ring. Thor quickly grabbed the ladder, and used it to hit Hulk when he scrambled back into the ring. Loki cheered at that, and practically bounced on the couch when Thor set the ladder up in the middle of the ring. But then Deadpool made his way back, and the two of them fought for a while.

Finally, Thor managed to get Deadpool out of the ring, leaving him all alone. He set up the ladder once more, and looked up at the briefcase. A lot of people in the audience rose to their feet as he began to climb, and Loki stood up as well, his heart beating fast once Thor was at the top. He reached out for the briefcase, and tried to get it off the hook.

Loki frowned. Why was it taking so long? Why couldn’t he just get it down? Sure, he looked tired, but how difficult could it have been? And then he realized why Thor hadn’t managed to get it. The Hulk came back into the ring, and he quickly grabbed the ladder. Thor looked down, but tried to reach for the briefcase again. He didn’t have time to get it, though, before the Hulk started shaking the ladder. Thor stumbled, and fell, and Hulk managed to grab him in the air and slam him down on the mat. The audience was yelling, some of them calling out “Holy shit!” over and over again. The Hulk climbed up as quickly as he could, and unlike Thor, he didn’t fumble once he got up there. He easily got the briefcase off the hook, and let out another roar as he held it up.

Damn.

Some people cheered, but Loki also heard a lot of boos. The camera panned to the other wrestlers, who were still lying outside of the ring. Most of them looked too hurt to even care about the briefcase at the moment. Even Thor could barely push himself up, but he finally looked over at the Hulk after a couple of seconds, and then he closed his eyes, bending his head in obvious disappointment. It didn’t seem to matter what he did. He would always lose. It was frustrating, and Loki kicked the bowl of chips away from him. Unfortunately, that resulted in it falling from the other side of the table, and now he had chips all over his carpet. Great.

Loki continued to be pissed about that match for the next couple of weeks. The Hulk was now carrying that briefcase around everywhere he went, and his manager seemed to be particularly thrilled about it. Loki hated it. He hated the smug looks on their faces. But there was a silver lining. He would get to see Thor soon enough, and he would hopefully get to see him kick some ass. If he was forced to watch him lose another match, Loki had a feeling he would end up setting the place on fire.

Finally, the big day arrived, and Loki was excited. In fact, he was so excited he had to roll his eyes at himself in the morning. How had he turned into this person? He was actually excited about going to a wrestling event. Two months ago, he hadn’t known the first thing about wrestling. He hadn’t given a damn about it. And now here he was,knowing very well that he was barely going to be able to concentrate on his work.

As he got dressed that morning, he decided to forget about the white shirt he had been planning to wear, and instead picked up his brand new Thor shirt.

Yes, that’s right. He was now the proud owner of one of Thor’s shirts. Okay, maybe he wasn’t that proud. And maybe he hadn’t even bought it on purpose. He had been really upset about that Money in the Bank match, and he’d had just a little bit too much to drink. Basically, the night had ended with him ordering the shirt, and then jerking off while watching videos of Thor winning the Intercontinental Championship last year. He had been really embarrassed the next morning, but he actually ended up liking the shirt. At least a little bit. It was black, thankfully, with a red and grey painted silhouette of Thor in the front. His name was on the back, along with the words ‘The Warrior, The Viking, The God’. Well, what kind of god was he now? He just kept losing. The important matches, anyway. Whatever. At least the shirt looked good. Good enough for him to actually put it on. But he needed to cover it with something, which was why he got a black blazer from his closet and put that on, standing in front of the mirror as he buttoned it to make sure no one would be able to tell what kind of t-shirt he was wearing. He couldn’t let the people at the office see it, or he would get laughed at, and if he did end up getting laughed at, he was not above slapping them. Or punching them. Or maybe he should try out one of those ridiculous wrestling moves?

Work that day truly seemed like it would never end. Loki was barely listening to anyone, too busy glancing at his watch every other minute as he counted down the hours. Soon. Soon, he would get to leave. Only three more hours. Two. One.

When he had about thirty minutes left, Loki was just about ready to get his things and leave, when one of his colleagues informed him that they would be having a meeting in an hour, and that they wanted him to attend it. An hour. But he was supposed to leave in… Okay, that was fine. It was fine. He could still make it to New Jersey in time. Loki wasn’t happy about it, but he wasn’t panicking just yet. He did start to panic, though, when he got to the meeting and they apparently couldn’t start it yet because they were missing one important person, which meant that they all had to wait for him. Loki tapped his foot against the floor while they did, which earned him a glare from the person sitting next to him. Loki paid him no mind, though. This was ridiculous. How long were they supposed to wait?

More than forty minutes, it turned out. That was how long they had to wait. Loki glanced down at his watch again. It was now almost seven, and the show was supposed to start at eight. How was he supposed to make it there on time? As the clock ticked on, he was almost tempted to tell them that he didn’t have time for this nonsense, but he knew he would get in trouble for it. So he stayed. He stayed, even though he wanted to tear his own hair out by the end of the meeting. The people around him were talking, and talking, and Loki was apparently the only one smart enough to keep his sentences short.

At last, they were allowed to leave, and Loki hurried out of there as fast as his legs could carry him, while still making sure not to run. He had to have some dignity, after all. Either way, he made it out to his car, and got inside, letting out a frustrated sigh as he checked the time. It was already thirty minutes past eight. Fuck. And by the time he got there… Loki cursed loudly, and leaned his head back against his seat as he wondered what he was supposed to do now. Was there any point in going? What if he went all the way over there and Thor had already had his fight? Would they even let anyone in now? He cursed again, and turned his eyes down, pulling his blazer aside so that he could look at his shirt. He had missed him. He couldn’t believe that he had missed him. But… Maybe there was still a chance? Loki absolutely refused to give up.

He started the car and drove off, almost hitting one of his colleagues in the process. He didn’t particularly care. As he arrived in the right city, he cursed the place loudly as he tried to find his way to the arena. it didn’t matter that it wasn’t the state of New Jersey’s fault that he had missed Thor’s match. He still hated it. Luckily, he managed to find a parking spot outside of the arena, and he got out of the car, pouting a bit when he saw Thor’s face on one of the posters outside. As he walked closer to the entrance, he could see people milling about inside. He thought about going in, but a quick look online revealed to him what he had already feared to be true. Thor’s match was over, and he probably wasn’t coming back out again. Damnit. He’d missed him. He had officially missed his chance of seeing Thor, and it was all over.

Or was it?

Thor had to exit the building sooner or later, right? If his match was over, maybe he would be coming out soon, so that he wouldn’t have to deal with the fans? Loki decided that it was a definite possibility. Now he only needed to find out where exactly the wrestlers would be walking out. He assumed they wouldn’t be using the main entrance.

He walked around the building, and finally found a place at the back where it looked like the wrestlers could be coming out. There were two security guards standing by the door, and Loki cursed them quietly because he certainly had no chance of getting in with them guarding the door. If only he could have made it to the locker room. That would have been like a dream come true, to see Thor walking out of the shower.

Loki actually felt a bit awkward standing there, and he looked around, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited. It didn’t take him very long to decide that this was a waste of time. Fifteen minutes had passed, the show was almost over, and he had no intention of standing there  with a bunch of other fans. He was not going to be one of those people, damnit. At this point, he might as well just give up. He could go back to Manhattan, get something to eat on the way, and watch Thor’s match at home. And then maybe he could get drunk again, and accidentally order another shirt.

With a sigh, he turned around, and headed back to the parking lot. It was already quite dark outside, and Loki could smell something. Food. It smelled like Chinese, and he could feel his mouth watering. No wonder he was so annoyed. He was hungry. If only he could have gotten the chance to see Thor. He wouldn’t have cared about food.

Too preoccupied with his own thoughts, Loki barely paid attention to his surroundings, which was probably why he didn’t notice the car coming towards him until it was only a couple of feet away from him. It screeched to a halt, and the driver honked loudly at him.

“Watch where you’re going, idiot!” the driver called out from his open window, and Loki gritted his teeth.

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going!” he shouted back. “Get your fat head out of your fucking ass and learn how to drive, you jerk!”

Loki hadn’t actually anticipated the driver leaving his car, but a second later he opened the door, and Loki raised a brow. Was he about to get into a fight? He had never been in an actual fistfight before, but maybe now was the best time for it? He was annoyed, and upset, and he actually wouldn’t mind throwing some punches. Maybe it would make him feel better?

He did notice, though, that the driver looked to be a little bigger than him. Loki narrowed his eyes, and gave him the best glare he could manage at the moment, hoping that giving the driver a ‘Don’t come over here or I’ll fucking kill you’ look would help scare him off.

To his surprise, it actually worked.

When the driver was just a couple of feet away from him, he stopped, and his eyes widened a bit. A second later, he had turned around, and he hurried back to his car, almost stumbling on his way into it. He quickly drove off, and Loki’s lips stretched into a smug smile as he watched him go.

“Yeah, that’s right, bitch. You better run,” he muttered, and let out a somewhat relieved sigh. Clearly, he looked more dangerous than he thought. Now, could he finally return to his car, please? He was hungry, and he needed to get back home. He turned around, but didn’t even get to take a step in the right direction before he realized that someone had been standing almost right behind him. He was just about to tell this someone to get lost when he got a good look at him, and his jaw dropped. Holy _fuck_.

Oh, it couldn’t be.

But it was. There was no mistaking him. He was wearing sunglasses, which were unfortunately shielding those blue eyes from him, and his long blond hair had been pulled back in a bun, but there was no mistaking him. It was Thor.

Loki couldn’t help it. He stared, dumbstruck, at the actual god standing in front of him. He had his huge arms crossed in front of his chest. He had changed out of his wrestling gear, and was now wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans. Somehow, he looked even bigger like this, and Loki swallowed.

“You should be more careful,” came that deep, rumbling voice with just the faintest hint of some kind of accent, and Loki’s knees almost buckled. One minute with him, and he was practically swooning. What had gotten into him? This was not who he was. Loki was supposed to be more poised than this. No matter how much this felt like a dream, he had to pull himself together.

Before he could do that, though, Thor started walking away from him, probably because he hadn’t gotten a single word out of him. Loki blinked, and shook his head to snap himself out of it. He couldn’t possibly just let him leave, could he? How many more chances like this would he get?

“Wait,” he said, and Thor stopped walking. “At least let me give you a proper thank you.”

Thor tilted his head to the side, and even though his eyes were still hidden behind those shades, Loki could tell that he had just said something that could be misinterpreted.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he said. But he could if he wanted to. He could drag Thor somewhere private and give him a proper thank you for saving him like that. No wonder the driver had run off. He’d had a huge, absolutely stunning wrestler standing right behind him. Actually, that made it stranger, didn’t it? If anything, that driver should have gotten closer. Loki certainly wouldn’t have minded climbing him like a tree.

“I just meant… Maybe I could buy you something to eat?” Loki explained. “If you’re hungry.”

Thor gave him a long look, and Loki was actually wondering if he would have to beg, when he stepped closer and reached up to remove his sunglasses. Even in the darkness, his eyes looked incredible, and Loki’s tongue darted out to wet his lips.

“Sure,” Thor said. “Do you know any good places around here?”

Loki narrowed his eyes. “Do I look like I’m from around here?” he snapped before he could stop himself. Oops. He couldn’t help it.It was a reflex!

Luckily, Thor didn’t look offended. He simply raised his hands and gave him a smile that practically made Loki swoon. Again.

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to offend you. Let me guess. You’re from New York?”

Loki nodded. “Born and raised.”

Thor chuckled. “Luckily, I do know a good place. It’s not that far from here. We can walk.”

Loki could barely believe that any of this was happening. He was about to have dinner with Thor. They were going to share a meal. How could he be sure that this wasn’t a dream? He was so dazed that he simply started walking, and didn’t stop until Thor cleared his throat.

“What?”

“Don’t you want to know my name before we have this very late dinner together?”

Oh. Right. Loki immediately stepped closer to him again, and held his hand out.

“I’m Loki.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Loki,” Thor said, and took his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “I’m Thor.”

‘I know’, Loki immediately wanted to say. He knew so much more than that, but he had no intention of letting Thor know. If he realized he was nothing but a fan, he would probably think of him as some kind of crazy stalker, and the only thing Loki would get out of this experience was a restraining order.

He quickly glanced down at himself to make sure the blazer was still covering his t-shirt, before he fell into step beside Thor. Neither of them said much as they walked, which gave Loki an opportunity to wonder how he was supposed to prove this to Amora. She would never believe him, not unless he had some kind of proof. Since Thor wasn’t looking at him, he carefully slid his phone out of his pocket, and moved his fingertips against it as he pretended to answer a text. Then he slowly turned it around and pointed it at Thor before he snapped a picture. He glanced down at it to make sure you could see who it was, before he shoved his phone back into his pocket. Maybe a restraining order would only be fair at this point?

They had walked for about ten minutes when Thor pointed at a building across the street. There was a green neon sign in one of the windows, informing them that the restaurant was open, and Loki had a feeling he was not about to have some kind of fancy dinner. Not that he minded. With Thor, he would have been content going to a hot dog stand.

Thor must have been to this place many times before, since the waitress that came over to greet them seemed to know him. Loki ignored the sting of jealousy in his gut as she flashed him a set of white teeth, and she even touched his arm before leading them over to a booth at the back of the restaurant. They sat down, and she asked if they wanted something to drink. Thor ordered a coke, while Loki settled for a glass water, and she went to get them their drinks while leaving them with their menus.

“So,” Thor said, without giving his menu as much as a glance. “If you’re from New York, may I ask what you’re doing here?”

Loki looked up and completely blanked for a moment before he remembered why he had been here in the first place. He obviously couldn’t tell him that. “Work,” he said, and put his menu down on the table, but quickly realized that left him with nothing to do with his hands, which was why he rested them on his lap as he began to fumble with the tablecloth. “I’m here for work. Some papers needed to be delivered, and I volunteered.”

“And what do you do?” Thor asked, only turning away from him for a short moment when the waitress came over with their drinks.

“I work at a law firm,” Loki told him, and watched as Thor wrapped his lips around his yellow straws and took a sip of his coke.

“So you’re a lawyer?”

“No,” he said, and shook his head. “I’m in charge of their PR. Well, I’m not the manager, but… I might as well be.” He shrugged. “I’m sure I could have been a lawyer, but defending someone never interested me. I am pretty good at convincing people to be on my side, though. I’ve always been told I’m a good talker.”

“I bet,” Thor said, and gave him another smile.

“And what do you do?” Loki blurted out, trying not to make a face at his own mistake because while he definitely wanted to hear Thor talk about wrestling, he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea..

“I’m…” Thor shook his head, and reached up to push back a few strands of hair. “I’m a professional wrestler. I’ve just had a show, actually. But I’m… sure that doesn’t interest you in the slightest, does it?”

Loki hesitated. “How long have you been a wrestler?” he asked, giving Thor a mildly interested look.

“For a long time now. I started wrestling when I was a kid. At first, it was just something I did for fun, but…” Thor trailed off when the waitress came back, and he quickly ordered the burger with everything on it, while Loki ordered the salmon.

“But I got more and more into it, and then I realized I didn’t want to stop. My father wasn’t very happy about it. He wanted me to take over the family business, but I was too stubborn. I told him I was going to become a wrestler, no matter what he had to say about it.”

“And now?” Loki asked, moving one of his hands away from the tablecloth so that he could take a sip of his water. “They must be proud of you, right?”

“They are,” Thor said, and nodded his head. “That’s what they tell me, at least, but I can tell my father still hopes I’ll quit someday. I suppose I’ll have to. Wrestlers tend to go into early retirement. We can’t do what we do forever.” He pressed his lips together in a halfhearted smile. “Anyway, enough about me. Tell me about your parents. Are they proud of what you do?”

Loki’s face fell, and he turned his eyes down, watching as he clenched his left hand into a tight fist in his lap. “I’m sure they would be,” he said, and looked back up again. “But they’re dead. My mother died when I was a child, and my father died a couple of years ago. I still have my brothers, though, and I think they’re proud of me.”

Thor gave him a nod. “I’m sorry,” he said, and Loki almost jumped when he suddenly felt his hand against his own, the one that was currently wrapped tightly around his glass. It only lasted for a moment, but it was enough to summon a bunch of butterflies to his stomach. Perhaps there was something wrong about him enjoying Thor’s touch when he was simply trying to comfort him because he’d told him about his dead parents, but he couldn’t help it. No matter what, this was still Thor, the guy he had been crushing on for about three months now. The guy he had never expected to have dinner with.

“Anyway,” he began, and took another quick sip of the water, suddenly feeling like he was parched. “If you’re not from around here, where are you from?”

Thor continued to watch him in silence for quite a few seconds, long enough for Loki to start squirming, before he finally started talking. “I spent most of my childhood in San Francisco,” he said. “But I’ve moved around a lot since then. I was actually born in Sweden.”

“Really? Well, I guess that would explain the blond

hair and the blue eyes,” Loki teased, and decided that since he had just mentioned them, there was no better time for him to get lost in those blue eyes for a second or two. They really were spectacular. He didn’t even look away as the waitress came over with their food. Only when Thor shot her a smile did he finally turn away, and he gave her a quick glare as she left, her heels making an awful lot of noise as they hit the floor.

“Do you know any Swedish?” he asked as he turned back to Thor, and immediately ended up staring as Thor grabbed his burger and opened his mouth to take a big bite of it. Normally, Loki probably would have been disgusted at the ketchup that was making its way down Thor’s chin, but now he wanted nothing more than to lean across the table and lick it off. He quickly turned his attention to his salmon, hoping to distract himself. The first bite he took practically melted on his tongue, and he let out a low groan. God, that was good.

“Not much,” Thor answered, and put his burger down so that he could grab a couple of fries, shoving them one by one into his mouth as he talked. “My mother tried her best to teach me, but I think it was difficult enough to make me learn one language, let alone two. I do know some of it, though. Just the basics. I haven’t been there in a while, but I could at least try to keep up in a conversation.”

“Say something;” Loki begged, and pushed his fork through a piece of cucumber.

“What would you like me to say?” Thor asked, and Loki shrugged.

“Anything. Say something about me.” He wasn’t sure what had made him say that, but it wasn’t like he had asked Thor to give him a compliment. For all he knew, he was about to get insulted in Swedish. That would be a first.

“Fine,” Thor said, and leaned a little closer, giving Loki a long, thoughtful look. “Du har vackra ögon,” he said slowly, and even though Loki didn’t have a lot of experience with Swedish, he could tell that it probably wasn’t perfect. He could hear too much of Thor’s American accent. Still, he liked it, but apparently Thor wasn’t done. “And… Wait, give me a second. Du är… snagg. No, that’s not it. I should know this one. Snygg. That’s it. You’re snygg.”

Thor shook his head at himself, and reached up to scratch the back of his neck. Loki’s eyes were drawn to the way his muscles moved. It was hypnotic, really. Kind of like a lava lamp.

“That was terrible,” Thor said, and gave him an embarrassed smile. “My mother would be ashamed of me.”

“What did you say?” Loki asked, and finally put the piece of cucumber into his mouth, chewing it slowly as he waited for an answer.

“I’m not telling you. You’ll have to look it up.”

“How am I supposed to remember what you just said?”

Thor shrugged his shoulders, and picked up his burger again. “That’s not my problem. You wanted me to say something in Swedish, and I did. You never said anything about having to translate it.”

What a bastard. Loki was actually impressed, though. He had met quite a few jocks in his lifetime, and they had always seemed stupid, and unable to hold a conversation. Thor was doing pretty well so far. Loki had been scared that he would end up disappointed, but he wasn’t. Thor was actually… nice to talk to. Who would have thought? He seemed completely harmless. Of course, Loki knew better than to judge someone based on a thirty minute long conversation, but it was a nice start, though was aware that he probably wouldn’t get much more than this. He would just have to make the most of it.

The rest of their late night dinner was just as comfortable as the first half had been. Thor told him some more about his wrestling career, stopping himself every couple of minutes to make sure Loki wasn’t bored out of his mind. Loki told him about Amora, and that the two of them had been friends since they were about five. He decided not to include the part about her being a wrestling fan. That wasn’t important. Thor went on to tell him about the friends he had made, and that his best friend happened to be a wrestler named (“You’re going to laugh at this”) Captain America. Or Steve Rogers, which was his real name. So they were friends in real life? He was sure Amora would be happy to hear that.

Eventually, the waitress came over to ask if they wanted dessert, and Thor quickly nodded his head, ordering two pieces of chocolate cake.

“You’re going to love it,” he said, and Loki couldn’t find it in himself to protest. He did like chocolate, and if this would make Thor stay a while longer, so be it. He didn’t care how full he would get.

The cake did end up being absolutely delicious, and Loki had to unbutton two buttons on his blazer, partly because it was hot and partly because he felt like he needed some more room after stuffing himself with so much food. Thor pointed out that he had some chocolate frosting on his lips, and Loki reached for his napkin, dabbing it against his mouth as he hoped to get it off.

When he turned his eyes back to Thor, he had a strange look on his face, and Loki slowly tilted his head to the side.

“Is something wrong?”

“No,” Thor said, and shook his head at him, quickly turning back to his own cake. “Nothing.”

By the time they had both finished their desserts, it was getting rather late, and Thor told him it was probably time for him to get going.

“I’m afraid I need to get up early tomorrow.”

Loki assured him it was fine, and Thor asked for the check. He already had his wallet out by the time Loki remembered that this wasn’t a date, and that he couldn’t expect Thor to pay.

“I was supposed to pay for this,” he pointed out, but Thor ignored his words, and handed the waitress his card.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I save people from angry drivers all the time. I don’t expect to get anything in return anymore.”

Loki wondered if it would be entirely inappropriate to ask Thor to come back to his place. That way, he could make sure he did get something in return. Something other than a burger, but something that would probably be just as messy. He just wanted one night. Was that too much to ask? Then again, Loki knew he was greedy. If he did get one night, he would soon want another. And then another one after that.

The two of them stood up to leave, and Thor thanked the waitress before he led Loki back outside. As their eyes met, Thor had that strange look on his face again, and Loki wondered if he still happened to have some chocolate left on his lips. What was up with the staring? Wasn’t he supposed to be the one who stared?

He reached up to rub his hand against his lips, and the two of them walked in silence for quite a few steps before Loki managed to gather enough courage to speak up.

“I had a really nice time,” he said. “Maybe I’ll think twice before judging your profession again.”

Thor glanced over at him, and shook his head as he turned away, letting out something that sounded a lot like a snort. ”Okay, how much longer are we going to keep pretending?” he asked. “How much longer are we going to keep pretending that you have no idea who I am?” He stopped walking, and Loki almost bumped into him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered, and tried to ignore the panic that was threatening to overwhelm him. He could feel his hands trembling and he quickly put them together, refusing to look at Thor.

“Oh, no? Why don’t you remove that blazer?”

Loki didn’t move, but he also didn’t protest as Thor unbuttoned it and pulled it aside, revealing his own picture on his shirt. Loki felt hot tears burning in the corners of his eyes, and he stubbornly stared at Thor’s shoulder, wishing that the ground would just open up and swallow him. He had never in his life felt like this before. He was humiliated. It was like someone had thrown a bucket of ice cold water over him, and the pleasant feeling he’d had just a second ago was now gone. Crushed..

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Thor asked, his voice firm, and not at all as friendly as it had been a couple of minutes ago.

“And make you think I was some crazy fan? I don’t think so.”

“So you lied to me?”

“Yes, I lied,” Loki said, and finally turned his eyes back to meet Thor’s. “I lied. I lied, because I wanted this to be… I wanted you to see... “ He shook his head, wondering why words were all of the sudden failing him. They had always been his strength. “I had no idea you were such an asshole If you wanted to humiliate me, then congratulations. Now, why don’t we just get this over with? Why don’t you just punch me?  Then you can go home and talk to someone about getting a restraining order, and I can go home and burn this fucking shirt and pretend that none of this ever happened.”

He turned his eyes away again, holding his breath as he waited for Thor to make a move. He flinched when he grabbed his arm, and didn’t protest as Thor started dragging him away from there. He didn’t see the point. Even if he had tried to get away from him, Thor most likely would have picked him up and thrown him over his shoulder. He was no match for him.

Thor ended up dragging him into some nearby alley which Loki usually would have tried to stay away from, unless he wanted to get mugged. Now, the only thing he had to worry about was the huge wrestler standing in front of him. Script or no script, he was quite sure Thor would know how to punch someone in the face. But why drag him all the way over here? Probably because he didn’t want any witnesses. That made sense.

Thor pressed him against the brick wall, and Loki closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. But it didn’t happen. Instead, he felt a warm hand against the side of his neck, and he furrowed his brow, slowly opening his eyes to look at Thor.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Thor assured him, gently rubbing his thumb against his jawline. “And I’m not mad. I wish you would have told me, but… I guess I can understand why you didn’t.”

“Oh,” Loki said quietly, finding it difficult to focus on Thor’s words when he was touching him, but he managed. He wasn’t mad? And here he had thought he would be furious. Now Loki wasn’t entirely sure what to do. He was still pressed against the wall. Not that he minded.

“So you’re a fan, huh? You… don’t look like a typical fan.”

“I wasn’t,” Loki assured him. “I’ve only been watching for three months. Amora… my friend, she took me to one of your shows, and I saw you, and... “ He shrugged. “You were impressive. Compared to the rest of them, that is.”

Thor chuckled, and leaned a little closer, close enough for Loki to feel his chest brushing against his own. He licked his lips.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Thor said, and closed the small space between them, softly brushing their lips together, teasing him. Loki practically sobbed at how close he was to having everything he had been dreaming about for so long, but he didn’t dare to move, too afraid that he was going to wake up and realize this was all a dream.

“I don’t want you to burn your shirt,” Thor whispered, his hot breath caressing his lips, and Loki instinctively parted them.

“I won’t,” he promised him. Thor’s hand tightened on his neck, and he could feel it, the kiss was coming, but then they were interrupted by a loud noise. It sounded like a ringtone, but it wasn’t his. Thor stepped back and grimaced as he pulled a phone out of his pocket. He glanced at the display before answering it. Loki’s eyes fell to his own shirt, and he brushed his hand against it to smooth out some wrinkles, taking a deep breath as he half listened to Thor telling someone on the other end that he was on his way.

“I’m sorry,” he said, as he put his phone away. “I have to go. Right now, the bus is about to leave, and I don’t want to get stuck here.”

Loki nodded his head, even though he wasn’t entirely sure what bus he was talking about. Thor gave him a long look, and let out a sigh before he dug his phone back out of his pocket. “What’s your phone number?” he asked, and Loki blinked a couple of times before he managed to remember it. Once Thor had typed it into his phone, he gave Loki another smile, and put his sunglasses back on again even though it was dark and he clearly didn’t need them.

“I’ll call you,” he said, and walked away from there without giving him the kiss they’d both obviously wanted. Loki held his breath as he watched him go, collapsing against the wall as soon as Thor was out of sight. He closed his eyes, and breathed deeply, reaching up to brush his fingers against his lips.

 _Wow_.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this chapter early last week, but then my laptop was taken away from me again. Luckily it's back now, and I'm hoping nothing else will need to be fixed. Sorry about the wait, and thanks for reading!

He had kissed Thor.

Well, he had almost kissed Thor.

He had _almost_ kissed Thor.

Actually, to be fair, Thor was the one who had almost kissed him. Loki had been too scared to move. Either way, it had been oh so close. Their lips had touched. He had been able to feel Thor’s hot breath against his skin, but it hadn’t been an actual kiss, and then they had been interrupted by that stupid phone. Loki wished he could find out who had been calling Thor, just so that he could make sure to kick that person’s ass. He didn’t care if it happened to be another wrestler. He would do it. If it was Captain America, then... bring it on. If nothing else, he could at least yell at him for it. And at the same time he could let him know that his costume looked absolutely ridiculous, and that he would not start rooting for him unless he changed it. Cheering for someone wearing an American flag was just not an option for Loki, no matter how hot the person wearing the flag happened to be.

Since Loki had suddenly turned into such an optimist, he expected Thor to call the very next day. He figured that he would have time. What did professional wrestlers do when they weren’t recording anything? Just hitting the gym, right? No matter how big those muscles were, there was no way Thor could be spending the whole day at the gym. He had to be able to find the time to call him. But he didn’t. Loki kept his phone by his side the whole day, but it didn’t buzz once. There was no text, and no phone call. Nothing.

The next three days were almost enough to drive him crazy. Thor still hadn’t called him, and he couldn’t call Amora either because she was still in France with her stupid boyfriend. He needed to talk to someone about this, and she was the only one of his friends who would actually care about it. She was his only friend. Period. He had other acquaintances, but she was the only one he enjoyed spending time with. It had always been the two of them, ever since they were kids. He supposed he could have called Lorelei, since it seemed like she was also a wrestling fan, but he knew Amora would strangle him if he told her sister about this first. He also had a feeling that going online and posting something about what Thor had (almost) done to him would be bad. Especially if he revealed that he was a man. Thor hadn’t told him to keep quiet about their little encounter, but he assumed that had somehow been implied. Thor obviously wouldn’t want him to tell people about it, and him hiding the fact that he happened to be bi probably wasn’t the only reason. He was bi, right? Loki assumed as much. He'd clearly been interested in him, but Loki had seen several pictures of him with different women. Unless those were all fake relationships, or he was just pretending to be interested in him, he had to be bi.

These thoughts did make Loki wonder if he had something to worry about. After all, Thor was constantly surrounded by sexy men and women, and since Thor was absolutely gorgeous himself… He was a free man, right? It’s not like Thor would have been cheating on him if he had decided to have sex with someone else. For all he knew, Thor had guys and girls spread out across the country, all of them ready and willing to sleep with him should he ask them to. The thought alone was enough to make Loki clench his hands into fists. He clearly needed to let some of this out instead of trying to keep it all down, and the only way for him to do that would be to finally talk to Amora.

Which he got to do two whole days later. She showed up on his doorstep with a bottle of wine and a bright smile on her pink lips, and Loki was more than happy to let her inside.

“I have so much to tell you,” she said, and Loki caught a whiff of a new perfume she must have bought as she stepped past him. It was a strong, flowery scent, and he quickly scrunched up his nose when she wasn't looking.

He closed the door and walked into the kitchen to get them two glasses before he joined Amora in the living room, slowly sitting down on the couch where she had already made herself comfortable, her legs crossed and her right arm resting against his pillows. 

“It was so romantic," she began before he had time to ask her about the trip, and Loki nodded his head as he reached for the bottle. "You should have seen the hotel we were staying at. Actually, I have some pictures…” She reached for her phone, and Loki busied himself with pouring them both some wine - suddenly feeling like he was going to need it - while she scrolled through her pictures.

“Here it is,” she said, and Loki leaned closer, keeping his lips pressed tightly together as he looked at the hotel room, pretending to be very impressed by the golden details, and the white, lace bedspread with matching curtains. He knew he had to let her talk first. It was the polite thing to do, wasn’t it? She would most likely get upset and accuse him of being self-centered if he changed the subject and went on to talk about himself. Then again, this wasn’t just any little thing. He wasn’t about to tell her that he had done a great presentation at work yesterday, or that his brother had called earlier that day. He was about to tell her that he had met Thor. Thor. The wrestler they both thought was hot, the wrestler they both knew he had a bit of a crush on. What could possibly be bigger than that?

As so, as she went on to tell him about the amazing food she’d had over there, Loki realized that he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He had to tell her. He had to tell someone. Keeping it in just wasn’t possible anymore.

“I’ve met Thor,” he said, probably a little too loudly, and Amora trailed off in the middle of describing the perfectly cooked scallops she’d had one night. She turned to look at him, and slowly put the glass back down on his coffee table. Loki didn’t even bother to remind her to use a coaster.

“What are you talking about?” she asked. “You met Thor? When?”

“Last Monday,” he said, and went on to explain everything to her, letting her know that he had missed the show, but that Thor had saved him from almost getting beaten up by an angry driver. Of course, he also told her that they’d had dinner, and that they had almost kissed in an alley behind the restaurant. When he was finished, Amora was sitting there with her eyebrows raised, looking at him like he had lost his damn mind.

“Is this a joke?” she asked. “Loki, you do realize that sounds too good to be true, right? I mean, what are the odds of you running into him outside the arena?”

Loki shrugged. He wasn’t sure, and he didn’t care. The important part was that he _had_ met Thor, but she didn’t seem to believe him. She was still looking at him like he was crazy, and he wasn't. Why would he be lying about this? It made no sense. Loki lied quite often, granted, but those were good lies. This was a horrible lie, because why would he even make that up? Did she think he was going to pretend to get text messages from Thor? He wasn't that stupid.

“I can prove it,” he insisted, and headed into the kitchen to get his phone. He hurried back to the couch and flipped through his pictures until he found the right one, the one he had taken of Thor when they had been on their way to the restaurant. He handed the phone over to Amora, who took it and gave him a doubtful look before she turned her eyes down.

Silence.

For a long moment, there was nothing but silence. He could see her eyes widen, and then-

“Oh my God,” she said, and glanced up at him. “That’s actually him. That's... Oh, my God. How… Are you walking next to him? He looks so... Holy fuck. I can’t believe you actually saw him. And he kissed you?”

“Almost,” Loki corrected her, and reached for his glass again, taking a long sip of his wine, which was a little too sweet for his taste, but it would do. He just needed something to keep himself calm. “He just kind of brushed his lips against mine, but it wasn’t a real kiss.”

Amora nodded her head, her eyes still glued to the picture. Loki hoped he would be able to get another one the next time he saw him, because it really wasn't that great. He'd been trying to be sneaky, and he'd also been fumbling a bit since he was in such a rush to get it done before Thor could notice what he was up to. Hopefully, he would be able to get a much better one next time. Preferably one that would show off those big arms. And possibly those blue eyes.

“So he’s bi, then?” Amora asked. “I had no idea. I seriously thought he was straight.” She put the phone down and reached for one of the pillows he kept on his couch, and then proceeded to hit it against his arm. Loki almost spilled some wine on his very expensive couch, and he quickly threw her a glare as he leaned away from her, trying to put a safe distance between the two of them.

“What was that good for?” he asked.

“It’s for you being such a lucky bastard. You’ve been watching wrestling for... what, three months now? And now you’ve met him? And you’ve had dinner with him, and… What was he like?”

Loki tilted his head to the side, stroking the rim of his glass with one of his fingers as he thought about it. “He was… He was amazing. I kind of thought he’d be an idiot, to be honest, but he was… Well, I still don’t think he’s the smartest guy around, but he was nice, and funny, and… what?”

Amora was shaking her head at him, and she sighed when he refused to continue until she'd provided him with an answer.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt. He’s still a wrestler, and they’re not exactly known to be a faithful bunch.”

“We’re not a couple,” Loki said, and shrugged his shoulders for emphasis to show her that he didn't care, even though he'd been thinking the very same thing before. “He can do whatever he wants.”

“Try telling yourself that,” Amora said, and nudged his chest. Loki pushed her hand away and rolled his eyes at her.

“It’s not like I’m in love with him. You know me. It’s not that easy for me to fall in love. It’s going to take a little more than one dinner, no matter how amazing that dinner may have been.”

“I do know that,” Amora agreed, and drank some more of her wine. “But when it happens…”

“You’re making it sound like I have no choice in the matter,” Loki pointed out.

“Maybe you don’t.”

That sounded kind of ominous, and Loki frowned lightly at her as he sipped on his wine for a couple of seconds so that he wouldn't have to answer her. He didn't even want to think about falling in love with Thor. That would just complicate everything. He could not imagine being in love with someone and only getting to see that person about... once a month. Or however often he would actually be able to see him. He had a job. He couldn't just get up and leave whenever he felt like it. And Thor obviously had no choice but to go wherever the company wanted him to go. Basically, they would only be able to see each other once in a whilę, and even though that would make it easier for him to tolerate Thor, he didn't think that sounded like a relationship.

“So what happens next?” Amora asked, effectively snapping him out of his thoughts. “Did you get a phone number? Is there any way for you to contact him?”

“I gave him my number.”

“But you didn’t get his?”

“No,” Loki told her, and Amora looked like she had expected to hear that answer.

“And so it begins,” she said, and Loki rolled his eyes at her again.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. Of course he’s not going to hand out his number. Almost kiss or not, I was still just a fan to him, and for all he knew I could have been waiting all night for something like that.” It was easy enough to say those words out loud, but they were not quite as easy for him to acknowledge and accept. He wished Thor would have trusted him, but he did realize that trusting someone you had just met wasn’t always easy. It had certainly never been easy for him. He tended not to trust people. It was simpler that way. Less chance of people disappointing you or stabbing you in the back. Amora was one of the few people he trusted. Actually, she was probably the only one he trusted.

“If you say so. I just don’t want you to be disappointed if he doesn’t call you."

"He's going to call," Loki insisted, idly wondering why she couldn't just drop it. He understood why she would worry for him, but that didn’t change the fact that she didn’t have to. He knew that Thor would call. He knew it. Because he was an optimist now. Besides, if he didn’t, he would find some way to get back at him. Like possibly hack one of his social media accounts and post some embarrassing messages. That would teach him not to get his hopes up.

“Okay,” Amora said, and nodded her head. “Okay, he’s going to call. Well, when he does, you better call me, because I’m going to want to hear all about it.”

Loki promised her that he would, even though he had a feeling he wouldn’t want to share everything with her. Some things should remain private, though he did want to give her enough to make her just a little jealous. Why else would he be talking to a famous wrestling star, after all, if not to make his best friend jealous in the process?

“So now that we’ve talked about the most exciting thing that's ever happened to you, can we please get back to my trip?” Amora asked. “You’re not the only one who has things to talk about.”

Loki motioned for her to go ahead, and went back to sipping on his wine as he listened to her talk about every single thing she had done in Paris. He stayed mostly quiet, figuring it was easier that way, and she didn’t seem to mind. He had a feeling she was happy as long as she got to talk and brag about everything she had seen, all of the shopping she had done, and every romantic thing her boyfriend had done for her. By the time she had finished, they had made their way through the whole bottle, and Amora decided that it was time for her to head back home.

“You’re not driving, are you?” Loki asked, and Amora immediately smiled at him and asked if he was worried about her, giving him an affectionate pat on his ass. He pushed her away from him, and insisted that he couldn’t have her crashing on the way home, because then he wouldn’t have anyone to talk to about Thor. Once she had informed him that she would get a cab, he let her go, and the two of them exchanged a brief hug before she left him alone.

His apartment felt almost unnaturally silent as he closed the door behind her, and he let out a sigh before he walked back into the living room and picked up the bottle, shaking it a bit to make sure there was absolutely no wine left. Unfortunately, there wasn’t. He strutted into the kitchen and put the bottle and the glasses on one of the counters, deciding that he could clean up in the morning. Right now, he was going to bed. Not because he was tired, but because he didn’t feel like spending another hour waiting for Thor to call. He made his way into the living room and grabbed his phone, unlocking it to check the time and nearly dropping it to the floor when it started buzzing in his hand. He took a deep breath once he noticed that it was an unknown caller, and quickly told himself to get it together because if this truly was Thor he did not want to sound like a nervous mess.

He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back even though Thor wouldn’t be able to see him, before he took another deep breath and pressed the button to pick up.

“Yes?” he said, and quickly cleared his throat when his voice came out sounding way too hoarse. “Who’s this?”

“Hi.”

Loki closed his eyes. Oh, it was him. It was definitely Thor on the other end of that line, and he had to sit down on the couch to make sure he wouldn’t fall over.

“Remember me? I’m the guy who said he would call you.”

“I’m afraid you have to be more specific than that,” Loki deadpanned. “I'm waiting for a lot of guys to call me.”

There was a chuckle, and Loki licked his lips, reaching for the pillow Amora had hit him with and putting it in his lap, running his fingers against the soft fabric as he waited for an actual response.

“Fair enough. It’s Thor. The wrestler. The one whose t-shirt you hopefully still have.”

“Oh, that one,” Loki smiled, and shrugged his shoulders. “Yes, I remember. Took you long enough. How many days has it been now?”

“Too many. I’m sorry about not calling you earlier. We’ve been busy preparing for Summerslam. It’s kind of hectic right now.”

“Preparing for what?” Loki asked.

“Please don’t tell me you’ve never heard of Summerslam?”

“No, I…” Loki stopped moving his fingers, and hunched his back a bit as he leaned forward. “I’ve heard about it. I think. I’m new to this, remember? This is the first time I’m experiencing these things.”

“Summerslam is one of our biggest shows of the year, and it's the highlight of the summer," Thor explained. "It’s not as big as Wrestlemania, but… It’s pretty big." There was a short pause, and then, "You’ll be watching, right?”

Loki smiled again, hugging his pillow against his chest for a momeng before he realized what he was doing and promptly threw it to the other end of the couch. Thor wanted him to watch. Thor actually cared about whether or not he would be watching him. Now, that was interesting, and definitely something he would make sure to share with Amora as soon as he got the chance. The more power he could have over Thor, the happier he would become. It was just strange to think about. A week ago, he had just been hoping to get to see Thor live. And now they were talking on the phone. And Thor actually wanted him to watch one of his matches. It was enough to make Loki giddy with excitement. Now, if only he could keep this up, perhaps this could actually lead somewhere. He just needed to spend some more time talking to Thor. Soon enough, he would be able to figure him out, and then he would know exactly how to play him, Loki was sure of it.

Since he wanted to keep Thor on his toes, he waited about ten seconds or so before he finally answered him.

“Yes, I suppose I will. If I have time. Who will you be facing?”

“I can’t tell you. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

Well, that was no fun. What was the point of being able to talk to Thor about this if he couldn’t even ask him any questions? Thor obviously knew whom he would be facing, and he probably even knew if he would win or not. Why not be nice enough to share that valuable piece of information with him? What did he think he was going to do? Tell everyone? Loki did not care about anyone else. He cared about himself, and the fact that he knew very well he would most likely grab whatever item was closest to him and throw it against the TV if Thor happened to lose again. Clearly, he was only looking out for the furniture in his living room. And his own blood pressure. If he knew Thor would lose before the match even started, maybe he wouldn't get so angry.

Thor was a cruel man, though, and refused to tell him about it, no matter how nicely he asked. It took Loki about ten minutes before he finally decided to give up, and he let out a frustrated huff as he pushed himself up from the couch and headed into his bedroom, sitting down on the big bed as he listened to Thor telling him about the amount of training he had done for the last couple of days.

“So I can at least expect a good match?” Loki interrupted him, and Thor paused for a moment.

“Yeah, I think it’ll be great. I think you’ll love it, no matter if I win or not. Trust me.”

“This coming from the man who said he would call me, and then waited about a week to do so?” Loki shook his head. “I don’t know if I can trust you.”

“Hey, I did call you, didn’t I? I’m talking to you right now.”

Yes, he was, and it was still somewhat surreal. Loki had heard this voice on TV. He had heard it plenty of times while watching videos on youtube. He had listened to it with his eyes closed while making himself come. More than once. Having Thor respond to him was admittedly pretty strange, but he was slowly but surely beginning to get used to it. It was difficult to put the two of them together, though. There was Thor, the big wrestling star, and then there was… Thor, the nice, somewhat oafish man he had talked to last Monday. Who still happened to look like a wrestler. Still, he didn't think he would be able to put it all together until he saw him live again. 

“When will I see you again?” Thor asked, and Loki immediately felt his heart speeding up, thrumming steadily inside his chest as he once again tried to let the fact that Thor actually wanted to see him sink in.

“I’m not sure,” he said slowly. “When will you be in New York again?”

“It might be a while,” Thor told him. “We’re going to California for Summerslam, and then we’re heading over to Texas. I’m not sure when we’re coming back. I haven’t asked anyone. It’s too bad, really. I would like to finish what we started.”

“Oh?” Loki arched a brow, doing nothing to hide the smug smile on his face since Thor wouldn’t be able to see him anyway. “And what exactly is it that we started?”

“Well, I didn’t get to kiss you.”

That was exactly what he had been hoping to hear, and Loki quickly put a hand over his mouth to make sure he wouldn’t let any embarrassing noises past his lips.

“I’ve been thinking about you every night since then. Whenever I’m not too tired and pass out as soon as I get back to my room, anyway.”

“And what are you thinking about?” Loki asked, holding his breath as he waited for a response, which Thor seemed all too happy to give him.

“I think about what it would be like to touch you,” he began, and Loki closed his eyes again, trying to imagine what it would be like to have Thor right next to him, whispering these things into his ear. “I think about what it would be like to give you a proper kiss. Sometimes I think about… finding out what makes you moan, what makes you scream. I think about worshipping you until you’re nothing but a trembling, whimpering mess. I know I could take you there. if I just got the chance.”

Well, he was certainly cocky. There was no lack of confidence, that was for sure, and Loki was impressed. Turning him into a trembling, whimpering mess wasn’t always easy, but with the right guy… He was sure Thor would be able to do it. After all, the very sight of him was enough to make Loki’s mouth begin to water. There was just something about him that he clearly could not resist, and he was not sure whether to call that wonderful or terrifying.

“I would love to see you try,” Loki said. “Now, tell me, do you do this with a lot of your fans?”

“No. You’re the first one.”

He did like the sound of that. A lot. He didn’t want to be just another desperate fan Thor was willing to bang just for the sake of it. He wanted to be special. He wanted _Thor_ to realize he was special, and he was not going to accept anything less than that.

“So,” Thor continued, sounding awfully smug, and Loki had a feeling he knew what was coming next. He could hear it in his voice. “What are you wearing?”

And there it was. He had expected those words, and he already knew exactly how to handle them. If Thor thought it would be that easy, he was sorely mistaken.

“Oh, no,” he quickly said. “This is not going to be one of those calls, you oaf. I have to get up early. Some of us have actual jobs, you know.”

He could practically hear Thor pouting on the other end, and Loki congratulated himself on a job well done. He wanted to keep Thor on his toes, as least for a little while. If he could make Thor want him just as much as he wanted Thor, he knew this was going to be good. All he needed to do was to make sure that he kept thinking about him, and he had a feeling he knew exactly how to do that.

“But if you must know, I’m wearing a grey shirt, and a pair of _very_ tight jeans. My ass looks incredible in these. Why don’t you think about how nice it would be to undress me before you go to bed? Good night, Thor.” And before Thor had time to say another word, Loki hung up, letting out a long breath as he held his phone tightly in his hands. He couldn’t believe he’d actually stopped them from having phone sex. He couldn’t believe he had actually turned him down. He could have gotten to listen to Thor’s voice telling him exactly what he would do to him, how he would touch his cock, or his ass, but he had decided not to go there. He almost called himself an idiot, but at the same time he knew it would be worth it, in the end. He just needed to be smart about this.

Before he went to sleep, he ended up sending Amora a text, letting her know that a certain professional wrestler desperately wanted to have phone sex with him, and wondering if she would like to be in his shoes right now. Luckily, he got a response about half a minute later, telling him to go fuck himself, and Loki smiled, sending her one more text before he closed his eyes.

‘Soon enough, I won’t have to.’


	5. Chapter 5

Thor called him again the very next day. Loki had just gotten back home from work when his phone started buzzing, and he smiled to himself as he put it down on the table and went about cleaning up in the kitchen for about a minute or so before he finally decided that it was time to pick up.

“Yes?”

“It’s me again. The wrestler you for some reason didn’t want to have phone sex with.”

“I’m sorry,” Loki grinned, and tossed the towel he’d been using to the side.. “You’re going to have to be more specific than that.”

He could hear Thor muttering something on the other end of the line, and he had to stop himself from chuckling as he sat down, casually leaning one of his arms against the table.

“It’s Thor. And I’m just calling to ask you if you’ll be watching my match tonight.”

Oh, right. Raw was on that night. He had almost forgotten. It had been a whole week since they had met. One week since they’d had dinner together. It seemed like a lot more time had passed, but that was probably because he felt like he had been waiting forever for Thor to call him.

“I might,” Loki began, and waited a long moment before he continued. “Can you at least tell me who you’ll be facing?”

Thor sighed on the other end. “Fine. I guess I can tell you since I actually know who I’ll be facing.” He was making it sound like he didn’t always know, and Loki was tempted to ask about it, but opted to keep his mouth shut. This was about teasing Thor, not about learning interesting new facts about wrestling.

“I’ll be teaming up with Cap, and we’ll have a tag team match against Crossbones and Hulk. Happy?”

“Will you win?”

“I’m not telling you that. If you already know, what’s the point of watching?”

Well… to watch Thor move about in the ring, of course. To watch those muscles stretch as he lifted someone up, or slammed someone down. To hear him grunt in pain, or roar victoriously. Did Thor not understand that he was mainly watching because the way he moved in the ring was incredibly hot? The storylines could be quite a lot of fun, but he would never have kept watching this show if Thor hadn’t been such a major part of it.

“Very well. I suppose I will have to wait a couple of hours. Will you be in the main event?” He threw a quick glance at his watch. It was seven now, and if Thor’s match ended up being the last one of the night, he would have to wait… probably about three and a half hours. He could survive live with that.

“Yeah. But you should get to see me earlier than that, so you might want to watch the whole thing.”

“I usually do,” Loki pointed out, and shrugged his shoulders as he got up and walked over to his fridge. They were both quiet for a moment, giving him a chance to think about what he should have for dinner. His fridge was almost completely empty, and he wasn’t particularly tempted by the peanut butter or the half-eaten pizza which he was pretty sure Amora had left behind a couple of weeks ago. He carefully picked it up and brought it closer to his nose, and immediately made a disgusted face because it smelled horrible. He quickly threw it in the trash and sighed heavily as he looked back at the peanut butter. Hm. He clearly needed to go shopping, but now wasn’t the right time for that. It would have to wait. If he wanted to have dinner, he would clearly have to order something, but what?

“So, what are you doing?” Thor asked him, and Loki closed the fridge door.

“I’m trying to figure out what I should have for dinner. I’m thinking... sushi.”

“I hate sushi,” Thor said, and Loki rolled his eyes. “I’d have to eat like… a hundred of those things for it to be enough.”

“What do you eat then?” Loki asked. “Just burgers all the time?”

“No, of course not,” Thor chuckled. “That was me allowing myself a cheat day. Or a cheat moment, really. Hamburgers are usually not part of my diet, but I tend to have a cheat meal every week or so.”

Well. That sounded incredibly boring. Loki was pretty slim, and he did have to exercise  in order to stay that way, but to watch what you ate every second of every day, and then constantly be working out? No. He would never have been able to live like that. When was he supposed to enjoy his ice cream? He briefly wondered if that would ever bother him. Obviously Thor and he would never be able to spend a lot of time together, but if they had been able to do that, would it have bothered him that Thor was on this very strict diet and refused to ever let loose? Maybe. He probably would have rolled his eyes a lot.

“How very exciting,” he muttered.

“You think it sounds boring?” Thor asked. “To be fair, I do like to… indulge myself at times. It can be pretty exciting to eat something that’s not part of your diet.”

“Like what?” Loki wondered, and frowned lightly when Thor didn’t immediately answer him.

“Why don’t you go ahead and figure that one out on your own?” Thor suggested with a laugh. “I’m afraid it’s my turn to hang up this time. I need to warm up. It’s almost time. Don’t forget to watch, okay?”

And with that, he ended the call, and Loki was left standing there in his kitchen, not sure what to do with himself. He hadn’t even answered the damn question. What did Thor eat that wasn’t part of… Oh. Wait, did he mean…? Damn. Thor had won this one, hadn’t he? He was supposed to be the one teasing Thor. He was supposed to be the one leaving him eager for more. And now he was the one wondering when they would be able to talk again.

At least he knew what he would be thinking about as he went to bed that night.

With a somewhat frustrated sigh, Loki left the kitchen and called his favorite sushi place, giving them his usual order because he wasn’t interested in trying anything new tonight.. His dinner arrived about twenty minutes later, and he let it rest on the coffee table in the living room as he waited for Raw to get started. He sent a quick text to Amora to ask if she was watching, before he settled back against the couch, taking a sip of his water as the opening theme song came on.

Captain America was the first one to come out, and Loki turned up the volume a bit because he knew Thor would most likely be joining him soon. Cap only got to talk for a couple of minutes before he was interrupted by Crossbones, who walked down the ramp to challenge him to a match. Loki chewed on his salmon as he wondered when Thor would be coming out, and if Cap really had been the one to call him a week ago. If so, he hoped he would lose. But the match didn’t even get to end before they were interrupted by the Hulk, who came into the ring and started beating Cap up just as he was about to win. A second later, Thor’s music hit, and he ran down the ramp and into the ring to save his friend. Crossbones managed to gather enough strength to pull Hulk out, and the two of them left as Thor bent down to make sure Cap was alright.

The rest of  Loki’s sushi was left forgotten as he leaned forward, slowly tilting his head to the side as he stared at the screen. Thor looked hot when he was protective. For a moment, Loki wondered what it would have been like to have Thor running into the ring to save _him_. It was the kind of fantasy that probably belonged in some sort of cheesy romance novel. Or on this show. Why not? Wrestlers saved each other all the time, and sometimes they even saved their love interests, so why couldn’t Thor save him? He could beat somebody up for him. Would Thor have hurt that driver if he had refused to back down? It was an interesting thought. There had to be just a little bit of truth to his wrestling personality, right? While Thor was incredibly kind, he was also brave, and he was not one to back down from a fight. Yes, Loki was sure that Thor would have been quick to defend him if that driver had tried to punch him, and suddenly he found himself distracted by the thought of Thor making someone bleed just for him. In fact, he was pretty sure that he would have offered to have sex with Thor right then and there if he had made that driver bleed for him.

It took him quite a long moment to finally snap out of his distracting thoughts, and when he did, Hawkeye was standing in the ring, clutching a microphone in his right hand, while Thor and Cap were nowhere to be seen. Had they said anything about a match? He assumed as much. Or maybe they would mention that later? Whatever. Thor wasn’t on his screen at the moment, which gave Loki an opportunity to focus on his food, barely listening as Hawkeye got through some kind of promo. After that, there was another match, at which point Loki got up to get his laptop, figuring he might as well get some work done while he waited for Thor to come back. He did get a bit distracted, though, once it was the ladies’ turn, because there seemed to be a lot of drama involved and of course he couldn’t resist that. Once Mystique and Storm had fought each other, they cut to an interview backstage, and Loki looked up as soon as he heard Thor’s voice deep voice. He was standing next to Cap, and the two of them were talking about how sick they were of Crossbones and Hulk, when Maria - the director of operations - came over to tell them both they were in luck, because they would be facing Crossbones and Hulk later that night. There we go. Now it had been set up.

Once it was finally time for Thor’s match, Loki got rid of his laptop  so that he would be able to concentrate. Once again, Cap came out first, and Loki gave his TV an impatient look as he made his way over to the ring. Then, at last, the arena went dark, and the lightning bolt hit the stage before the lights came back on and Thor started making his way down the ramp. Once they had finished posing, Cap and he gave each other a brief pat on the back before Thor climbed out of the ring, standing near the corner as he waited to be tagged into the match. Loki hoped that Cap would be quick about it, but he stayed in the ring for four minutes and thirty eight seconds (yes, he counted) before he finally crawled over to the corner of the ring and hit Thor’s hand with his own.

Thor quickly climbed into the ring and hit Crossbones with a clothesline, holding his right arm out and letting it collide with his upper chest hard enough to make him fall. He repeated the same movement two more times before he grabbed him by the shoulders and hauled him back up again, giving him a quick smirk before he lifted him up over his shoulder. Poor Crossbones didn’t stand a chance, and he quickly tagged the Hulk into the match. Unfortunately, Thor proceeded to get his ass kicked once again, and came close to being pinned about five times before he managed to kick Hulk away from him so that he could jump over to the corner and tag Cap back in again. Cap somehow managed to fight back against the Hulk, and Loki immediately called bullshit on this whole thing because how could he beat him when Thor had been unable to?

Eventually, Crossbones got back into the ring, and then Cap hurried over to slap his palm against Thor’s outstretched one. Finally, Thor got to shine once more, and he lifted Crossbones over his shoulder while walking over to the corner to tag Cap back in. They exchanged a look, and Cap quickly climbed up to the top rope, jumping forward and hitting Crossbones’ back with his elbows at the same time as Thor threw him up into the air. Cap went for the pin, and Hulk moved into the ring to try to help his teammate, but Thor rushed forward and did a spear, driving his head hard enough into  Hulk’s stomach to make him fall back. The referee counted to three, and the bell rang as the crowd cheered.

Thor and Cap gave each other a very manly fistbump, and Loki rolled his eyes at the two of them, but a second later he let out a very _unmanly_ shriek when the Hulk attacked Thor from behind. The crowd booed as he punched him, but luckily Cap managed to pull him off. Thor got back up again, and together the two of them lifted the Hulk up and threw him out of the ring to the surprise of the commentators, who were shouting “Oh my God!” a little too loudly for Loki’s taste.

Thor’s music started playing, and the show ended with him and Cap sharing a hug this time, smiling at each other as they both climbed up the ropes and raised their fists towards the audience. At least they’d won, and it had been a pretty good match, even though the fact that Cap had been able to stand up against the Hulk while Thor just couldn’t was ridiculous. Loki let out a sigh, and got up to put everything away, sending a short text to Thor before he went to bed.

‘Very impressive.’

The following weeks were very much the same. They sent plenty of flirtatious text messages to each other, and Thor called him about two times a week. They were both busy men, and since Thor was currently on the other side of the country, they also had to think about the time difference. But they made it work. Loki made sure that Thor was just as tempted as he was by sending him hints about what he wanted to do to him, and also what he wanted to do to himself while watching him. Thor was a lot better at this game than he had thought he would be, though. It turned out that Loki was not the only one who could be a tease. Thor sent him similar things in return, telling him exactly what he wanted to do to him, and how badly he wanted the two of them to see each other again.

On the last Monday before Summerslam, right before Raw was about to start, Thor sent him a text letting him know that he would be thinking about him as he went out there. Loki wondered what that meant, but it all became clear to him as Thor winked at the camera as soon as he had made his way into the ring, a smug smile playing on his lips as he turned away and climbed the ropes to pose at the top.

That bastard. The fact that Loki now knew that this was all for him was bound to make it ten times hotter. Thor was supposed to be facing Crossbones on his own this time. At Summerslam, however, Cap and he was supposed to have yet another tag team match against Hulk and Crossbones, which meant that Cap would not be defending his championship. However, the current World Heavyweight Champion would be defending his championship. Loki was yet to actually see him, even though he had been watching for a couple of months now. Apparently, this guy only defended his championship every now and then, and was almost never seen on Raw. It seemed a bit cowardly to constantly be hiding like that, but at the same time he supposed it was a clever idea. Why defend the championship if he didn’t have to?

From what he’d heard, this guy was supposed to be absolutely brutal in the ring. Loki had thought the Hulk was bad, but he was nothing compared to this guy . He was a little smaller than him, sure, but that only made him that much more effective in the ring. There had been rumors that he was supposed to show up on Raw, and Loki was excited about it, but no more excited than he was about Thor’s match, of course.

Before the bell rang, he got a text from Amora. She wanted to know what was up with the winking, and Loki smirked to himself as he wrote his response.

‘It’s all for me, baby.’

Amora called him a lucky bitch, and Loki agreed. He was very lucky. He didn’t get a very long match, though. It was only about seven minutes long, and yet Thor still had plenty of time to show off. He lifted Crossbones up a lot, which meant that Loki got to watch as his arms stretched high above his head. Perhaps it was his imagination, but Thor almost looked more animalistic than usual. He stalked around the ring everytime he managed to get Crossbones on his back or stomach, and he roared loudly as he got him up on the top rope and jumped backwards while taking him down with him. After that, he moved on top of him, and three strikes later he had won the match. Loki smiled at his TV, happy to see Thor kick some ass for once. It was about time. But this match wasn’t as important as his next one, and Thor tended  to lose the important ones. Then again, he would have Cap by his side, and Cap usually won his matches. Maybe that was a good sign?

The rest of Raw was relatively boring. They were mostly just setting up for Summerslam, and apparently the rumors had been wrong because there was no World Heavyweight Champion. Luke Cage, who was the one who had chosen to challenge him, got into the ring to do a promo, and then the words ‘I accept your challenge’ appeared on the big screen over by the stage. That was it. They got a simple message on the screen, but there was no appearance, no video message. Nothing. How disappointing.

About one hour later, when Loki was already in bed and ready to go to sleep, he got a text from Thor.

‘Did you watch it?’

‘Yes. It was an okay match. I’m looking forward to Summerslam. Make sure that one is even better.’

As he waited for Thor to respond, he moved around a bit on the bed in his search to find a more comfortable position, finally finding it just as his phone buzzed again..

‘Do I get a prize?’

Oh, now he was just asking to be teased, wasn’t he? Loki had a strong feeling he wasn’t the only one who enjoyed this. Thor probably wanted to be teased.

‘Perhaps. If you’re lucky.’

‘Fair enough. I’ll try my best.’

There was a pause, during which Loki pressed the back of his hand against his mouth to suppress a yawn, and then he got another text.

‘What are you wearing?’

Well, he certainly was a persistent bastard, wasn’t he?. He just couldn’t help himself. He clearly should have known by now that Loki was not about to answer that question. He had tried it for weeks now, and it hadn’t worked once, except for that first time when he had told him he was wearing a tight pair of pants. Though maybe he should let it work this time? He had to give in at some point, or else Thor might just give up, and he didn’t want him to do that.

‘I’m in bed. So not much.’

That ought to be enough. Besides, he was telling the truth. Loki was wearing nothing but his underwear. It was too hot for anything else. He briefly wondered what Thor slept in, and quickly decided that he would probably sleep naked. Loki found that he had no problem with that. In fact, it would make it even easier to wake him up with a blowjob in the morning, which he would of course only do if Thor had earned it. If they ever got the chance to sleep in the same bed, that is. He was honestly beginning to wonder if it would ever happen. They could only make do with texts and phone calls for so long before one of them was bound get bored.

‘Can I get a picture?’

Loki actually let out a laugh at that, even throwing his head back and just barely avoiding the headboard. Did he really think he was going to get a picture of him? Oh, no. It wasn’t happening.

‘Why don’t you send me a picture of yourself instead?’ he suggested, and kept the phone in his hand as he waited for a response. When he finally got one, Thor had indeed sent him a picture, and Loki sat up a little as he looked at it. Oh, what a tease. Thor had clearly just come out of the shower, because there was a red towel wrapped around his hips. But that was about it. That was about the only thing he could see. That and just a tiny little hint of a six pack. Loki was not amused. He knew it was his own fault for being such a tease in the first place, but this was just taking it to a whole other level. Why zoom in on the fucking towel and the bottom half of his stomach?

‘Now can I get a picture?’

Oh, this meant war. Loki quickly got up from the bed and hurried over to his closet, pulling out the drawer where he kept his sex toys. He rummaged through it until the found one of his favorite dildos. It was purple, and only about seven inches, but it usually did the trick. He didn’t necessarily need anything bigger than that, but if Thor happened to be bigger, he was certainly not going to complain. Quite the opposite, really.

He got back on the bed and pulled the very thin blanket he slept with now that it was summer over himself, putting the dildo down next to himself before moving his hand underneath the blanket, making sure that it was noticeable that he had a hand wrapped around himself before he took the picture.

‘Thinking of you. Have a good night, Thor.’

He sent that along with the picture before he put the phone away, congratulating himself on a job well done as he made sure that it was on mute so that he wouldn’t be disturbed by Thor if he decided to send him anything else. He put the dildo away as well, having no intention of pleasuring himself tonight. It was tempting, but he had an early day tomorrow and he really needed to get some sleep. Now just wasn’t the time. As so, he put his head against the pillow and closed his eyes, a devious smile on his lips as he wondered if Thor was going to enjoy the picture, almost sure that he would find some kind of pouty response from him in the morning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was actually going to let them have phone sex in this chapter, but then I changed my mind because I am a cruel person. I hope you can all forgive me.


	6. Chapter 6

The response Loki got from Thor was not exactly the kind of response he had been expecting. When he woke up to the sound of his alarm, he quickly slammed his hand against the snooze button before he remembered what he had done the previous night. That made him reach for his phone, and he slid his thumb across the screen to unlock it before he noticed that he had no less than three messages from Thor. 'You are cruel' was the first message. 'I will get my revenge' was the second, and as for the third... That one was special.

'For the record…... I'm bigger than that.'

That was the third message, and Loki's eyebrows shot up against his hairline as he read the message over and over again. He was bigger than that. He was bigger than his seven inch didlo. How much bigger? Was he eight inches? Close to nine? Ten? No. There was no way he was ten. Right? Either way, Loki had been right. He had assumed that Thor had a big dick ever since the first time he’d seen him, and now he had proof. Sort of. Loki wondered if it was too early in the morning to request a dick pic. Thor was probably asleep. He would have to save that request for some other time.

It was difficult for him to concentrate on work when he kept thinking about the size of Thor's dick, but he managed. That is, until he got a text at three in the afternoon. He was just talking to two of his coworkers about an ad they wanted to have made when his phone vibrated inside his pocket. He pulled it out, thinking that perhaps it was work related. But it wasn't. It was from Thor.

'I've waited more than 12 hours. That's it? No reaction?' Loki slowly turned his eyes up to the other two, and offered them a polite smile as he pretended to listen. Just half a minute later, it buzzed again.

'Is this another cruel tease? Or are you blowing me off?'

“Excuse me for a moment,” Loki said, and motioned for the other two to keep talking while he drummed his thumbs against his phone as he thought about a good response.

‘I’ve been busy. It’s not always about you.’

There. Thor would get a response, but not the one he was clearly looking for. He wanted him to say something about his dick, but he wasn’t going to even mention it. If he let Thor know that it was pretty much all he could think about, he would no longer have the upper hand. And he needed to have the upper hand. He had been drooling over Thor since the first time he’d seen him. If he wasn’t careful, Thor would use that to his advantage, which meant that he would probably never have his way ever again.

Unfortunately, he was no longer interested in anything his coworkers had to say, and as soon as he had promised them that he would take care of everything, and that they could leave the talking to him, he scurried away from there, making his way back to his office. He wasn’t exactly sure what those two had actually wanted out of him, but he knew he could bullshit his way through any conversation. If they needed him to convince someone that their idea was a great one, he could do it. That wasn’t important. What was important was that Thor had just sent him another text.

‘No one has ever told me that before. What does it mean?’

Loki let out a loud snort, and shook his head.

‘Don’t you have something else to do? Go work out. Have some protein shakes. Make sure you maintain those muscles.’

‘You like my muscles don’t you?’

Why, yes. Yes, he did, but he had other things he needed to focus on at the moment. Besides, he had no intention of giving Thor what he wanted. If he hadn’t understood that yet, Loki had no idea how he was supposed to make him realize it without calling him up and screaming the actual words at him. With a permanent smirk attached to his lips, Loki set his phone aside and turned his eyes to his computer screen, happily ignoring the sound of his phone vibrating against the desk every couple of minutes.

He didn’t actually read any of the messages until he got back home. Once he stepped inside his apartment, he headed into the kitchen to put down the groceries he had picked up on his way home. He did need to cook himself an actual meal for once, even if he wasn’t in the mood for it. Luckily, reading Thor’s messages was enough to pick him back up again. At first, Thor had simply pointed out that Loki was just dying to see him shirtless (and _damn_ was he right about that) but then he had started complaining about Loki not answering him, asking him what could possibly be more important than his muscles.

‘My job,’ Loki wrote, and sent that before he focused on getting his groceries into the fridge, making sure to toss out the old peanut butter. Once he had made himself a simple meal of pasta and tomato sauce, Loki sat down at the table and reached for his phone again.

No messages.

Well, it had only been about thirty minutes since he’d sent that last one. Maybe Thor hadn’t seen it yet? He thought the same thing after another thirty minutes. And then again after another hour had passed. By the time he was in bed, once again wrapping the thin blanket around himself, he wondered if he had made a mistake. What if Thor had gotten sick of being ignored? What if he had decided that he wasn’t worth it? What if he, God forbid, had decided that it would be so much easier for him - and not to mention a whole lot more convenient - to simply try his luck with one of the Divas? He was sure plenty of them would be more than willing to go to bed with Thor. Not because they were easy, but because Thor was so fucking gorgeous, it didn’t make sense for anyone to want to turn him down.

Loki fell asleep that night with a stomachache, and he cursed himself for being so foolish, thinking that perhaps… perhaps he had lost his chance.

When he woke up the next morning, the first thing he did was to reach for his phone, ignoring his alarm clock as he unlocked it and stared at the display. Nothing. No messages. No missed calls. Absolutely nothing. Loki let his head fall back onto the pillow, staring mindlessly up at the ceiling and only remembering to turn his alarm off after about a minute. Oh, no. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn’t call Thor. He would never stoop that low. He was not going to call and beg for another chance. No way. But what else could he do? Should he just wait and hope that maybe Thor would realize that he was indeed worth all this trouble?

Loki had always considered himself a desirable person. In the few relationships he’d had, he had always thought of the other person as the lucky one for being with him. This was new to him. Thor could have just about any person he wanted. He had hordes of fans who loved him, and as if that wasn’t enough, he was good looking and charming enough for even the ones who didn’t care about wrestling to notice. How was he supposed to compete with that? Because he was better, right? He was better than all of them, but the one major difference was… He wasn’t there. He wasn’t there with Thor. He was stuck here in Manhattan. He wasn’t travelling all over the country with Thor, and he wasn’t there in one of the bars for him to spot from across the room and decide to take home for the night. He had a job, and as long as he had that job, he would never be able to see Thor as often as he wanted to. Not that he was going to quit for him. That would be a little bit too desperate. To quit his job for someone he’d had… They hadn’t even been on a date yet. They hadn’t even kissed. They hadn’t slept together. As hot as Thor was, Loki would never give up everything he had worked for in order to be with him.

He did think about it, though. As he went to work that day, he did wonder if he really needed this crappy job. Okay, it wasn’t crappy. Some of his coworkers were idiots, and sometimes he had to work ridiculous hours, but the pay was great, and he enjoyed using his persuasion skills. He had worked hard to get to this top position, and he was not about to let it go.

Halfway through the day, he decided that Thor could go fuck himself. If he didn’t think he was worth it, then he didn’t think Thor was worth it. Why should he bother trying to please someone who didn’t even get a fucking joke? Because it had been a joke. Ignoring him had obviously been a joke on his part. It had been a game. He had just wanted to have some fun, but Thor clearly couldn’t get that through his thick skull, and now here they were, no longer talking to each other. That was fine by him.

Thor didn’t text him the next day either. By that point, Loki had given up on ever getting an answer from him. It was over. Oh, well. It had been fun while it lasted, right? That was what he tried telling himself. It was easy enough to distract himself while he was at work, but as soon as he got back home, he realized that the apartment seemed even more empty than usual. It was so quiet. More importantly, his phone was quiet. There was no beep. No buzz. He kept glancing over at it as he tried to work on a presentation, and eventually he had to hide it behind one of his pillows just so that he would be able to concentrate, and even then it was hard.

The next day, Amora called and asked him if he wanted the two of them to watch Summerslam together, and Loki let her know that he would not be watching.

“I’m done,” he said. “I’m not going to watch any more wrestling. It’s… stupid.”

“Uh oh. What happened?” Amora asked.

It took her a couple of minutes to get it out of him, but eventually he explained everything to her, telling her that Thor had stopped texting him, and that he certainly didn’t feel like watching wrestling now.

“You are such a stubborn ass,” Amora told him. “Why don’t you just call him? Text him. Beg him, on your knees, to take you back. Tell him that. Tell him you’ll get on your knees for him. That’s bound to capture his attention..”

Loki called her a choice set of foul words and told her he would do no such thing, and the two of them ended the conversation as soon as Amora had told him she knew he would regret this sooner or later. She was wrong about that. Loki simply needed a couple of weeks in order to get over this,and then everything would go back to normal. He would have more time for his soaps. He wouldn’t have to watch grown men pretend to beat each other up while wearing American flags. To be honest, he considered it a bit of a win. It was a ridiculous sport, anyway. It wasn’t even a real sport. It was all made up. They were just a bunch of idiots. All of them.

The next day, he was so busy with presentations and meetings that it was actually relatively easy to forget about Thor. At least until one of his coworkers pulled him aside before a meeting and asked him if everything was okay. Loki stared at her, doing his best to hold back any type of emotion as he fiddled with his papers.

“Yes, of course,” he said. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

Leah, who was one of the few people he actually enjoyed talking to, glanced around to make sure no one was listening before she spoke up.

“Because you look… upset. And you barely look at your phone anymore.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Loki asked, and put his papers into his briefcase and shut it before he remembered that he actually needed those papers, and he quickly pulled them back out again.

“Oh, come on. That phone has basically been glued to your hand for several weeks now. But this week I’ve barely seen it. Look, I don’t want to pry, I’m just saying that if you need someone to talk to…”

“It’s none of your business,” Loki snapped, and glanced over at her just in time to see the surprised look on her face.

“Okay,” she simply said, and walked away from him, leaving Loki to wallow in his own misery. He sighed, and gritted his teeth together as he organized his papers into neat piles, telling himself that he was not going to feel guilty about this. The last thing he needed right now was to feel even worse.

Sadly, his little outburst made it more difficult for him to concentrate, but he managed to pull himself together enough to get through the meeting. He even managed to convince the manager to have a look at one of the ideas his coworkers had been working on, and he did feel quite proud of himself as he was told he had done a good job.

When he got back home that night, he felt exhausted. It was late, he had been working nonstop the whole day, and he just didn’t have it in him to do anything else. After making himself a sandwich, he stayed up watching old reruns of Friends before he went to bed, passing out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The next day, which was a Saturday, was so long, and so boring. He didn’t have anything to do. He knew that Summerslam was tomorrow, but he still wasn’t going to watch it. He didn’t want to call Amora to apologize, and he didn’t really have any other friends, which meant that he had to spend the whole day on his own. At least he managed to get plenty of work done. Later that day, he decided that he needed to do something in order to get over Thor. He was going to go out. He was going to go out, and find himself a guy that looked absolutely nothing like Thor, and then he was going to let that guy take him home and fuck his brains out. That seemed like a solid enough plan. The only problem was that as soon as he stepped inside one of Amora’s favorite clubs - the one she always dragged him to whenever she felt like he needed to get laid - he quickly realized that finding someone he would be willing to have sex with was going to be a lot harder than he had first thought. None of them looked good enough. They were either too small, or too ugly. After having spent time jerking off to one of the biggest, hottest guys he had ever seen, these jerks just couldn’t quite compare. That didn’t stop him from dancing with several of them, though, and once he had a couple of drinks in his system, he even allowed a couple of them to rub up against him. He declined every offer to find a more private setting, though. To dance with them was one thing, but to have sex with them? No. No, thank you. And the sad part was that he hadn’t even had sex with Thor yet, and for some reason he still couldn’t let him go. What had his life become?

After one last mojito, which really consisted more of rum than it did of club soda, he made his way home on unsteady legs, cursing Thor one last time before he passed out on his couch.

The next morning was no fun. It felt like someone had hit his head with a big hammer. He stayed in bed for an hour before he managed to force himself out of it, slowly making his way into the kitchen to get himself something to drink. Why was this happening to him? How could he do this to himself just because of some stupid wrestler? It was ridiculous. Just because Thor had decided to stop texting him, he now had one of the worst hangovers he’d ever had. Was it worth it? Had that dinner, those calls, and those texts been worth this? No. Hell no.

He spent the whole day on the couch, a folded up wet towel against his forehead, which did make him feel a little better. He didn’t have anything to eat until seven, at which point he actually started to feel a bit hungry. Since there was no way he would be able to make dinner, he ordered a pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. Fuck it. He just needed some junk food right now. Once the pizza had arrived, he immediately plopped himself back onto the couch and inhaled the smell, letting out a content sigh as he reached for his first slice. Much better. As the minutes ticked by, he was beginning to realize that there was less than an hour left until Summerslam. Well, that didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to watch.

Or maybe he was. When the clock struck eight, he glanced over at the TV, and actually reached for the remote before he told himself to stop. He was not going to watch. Instead, he reached for his phone and went online, checking out some comments just to find out what was happening. No Thor yet. Loki hoped he would lose. He hoped he would lose and that he would look fucking upset, because maybe that would give him some satisfaction. Eventually, he saw someone write that Thor’s match was up next, and Loki pressed his lips together as he reached for the remote again. No. No, he shouldn’t. Yes. No! Maybe.

Loki cursed loudly as he aimed the remote at the TV, managing to get the show on just in time for Thor’s match. Cap was walking down the ramp towards the ring, where Hulk and Crossbones were already waiting. He stopped before he could get there, though,, and turned around, the camera barely catching his smile before the arena went dark. Loki pushed himself up a bit, holding his breath as the lightening struck and Thor showed up on stage. Maybe he shouldn’t watch this after all? Just looking at him was making him want to scream. Or possibly throw something at the TV. Thor looked just as hot as usual as he started walking, his big arms swinging by his sides as he made his way over to Steve. The two of them shared a quick smile and a fist bump before they turned their eyes to the ring. Hulk and Crossbones were holding on to the ropes as they leaned forward, clearly challenging them to come closer.

Fine, maybe he could watch a couple of minutes.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the ring announcer began, and Loki narrowed his eyes when he was pretty sure he saw her look at Thor just a couple of seconds too long. “The following contest is a no disqualification tag team match.” No disqualification? Since when? The last time he had been watching, it was just supposed to be a normal match. No disqualification meant that they were allowed to use objects, such as chairs, tables, or whatever else they could find, and not get disqualified for it. Basically, they could do whatever they wanted. Apparently, it also meant that there would be no tags made, since all four men stayed in the ring. Thor and Cap patted each other on the shoulder, and gave the ring announcer just enough time to leave the ring before they hurried forward and attacked the other two. They immediately split up, Cap going for Crossbones and Thor going for Hulk. They had them locked into separate corners, both of them hitting them as much as they could. They shared a look, and pulled them away from the ropes, using all of their strength to push the two of them together. Hulk and Crossbones collided with a loud smack, and immediately fell backwards onto the mat. They barely had time to get back up again before there was a commercial break, and Loki gave his TV a sour look as he reached for a cold slice of pizza.

When they finally got back to the match, Thor and Hulk were all of the sudden standing outside of the ring, seemingly waiting to be tagged back in. Oh. So… they did have to be tagged into the match? Then what was all that at the beginning? Loki wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t about to question it. He had stopped questioning these things quite some time ago. For now, he was simply going to watch Thor, sotting up a little straighter as soon as Cap tagged him into the match. Almost immediately, the crowd began to chant “We want tables!” Thor grinned at them, and made sure to knock Crossbones out before he jumped out of the ring. The Hulk immediately tried to go for him, but Cap made sure to hold him off as Thor started looking for something underneath the ring. At first, he pulled out a couple of chairs and threw them into the ring, and then he finally managed to find a folded up table, which he also slid into the ring before he made his way back.

Crossbones was still on his back, and Thor took his sweet time setting up the table next to him. At first, he grabbed a chair, glancing over at the crowd before he slammed it against Crossbones’ chest. It looked like it hurt. As he continued to hit him again and again, Loki moved forward, sliding down from the couch and ending up leaning against his coffee table as he watched. Finally, Thor tossed the chair aside, and picked Crossbones up, lifting him onto the table. Once he had made sure that he wasn’t going anywhere, he picked up another chair and hurried over to Hulk, who had looked eager to get back inside. He used it to push him down on the floor, and Cap once again made sure that he was taken care of while Thor turned his attention back to Crossbones. He climbed up to the top rope, but before he could jump, the Hulk had managed to get over to his side. He pulled him down by grabbing his ankle, and Thor fell all the way down from the ring, letting out a groan as his back hit the floor.

Loki cringed. It looked painful, and he hoped that Thor wasn’t hurt. Not that he cared. He hoped he _would_ get hurt. At least a little bit. It looked like Cap was out, and Thor hadn’t gotten back up again, leaving Hulk with plenty of time to step over to the announcer’s table and start ripping it apart, tossing away the monitors and some of the cables. Oh, no. Thor had to get up. Someone had to get up, because Loki knew exactly what Hulk wanted to do, and it was not going to be pretty. He pulled Thor onto his feet, and dragged him over to the table. The commentators had moved out of the way, standing on their feet as they continued to talk about the match, and the fact that Thor seriously needed to do something.

Hulk was just trying to get him onto the table when Thor started to fight back, and with a well aimed punch, followed up by a swift kick, he forced Hulk to let him go. Cap had also gotten back up again, and the two of them shared a look before they stepped forward. Together, they managed to lift Hulk up, and Loki watched with wide eyes as they slammed him through the table, which immediately came apart under his weight. The crowd was chanting “Holy shit!”, which quickly turned into an “This is awesome!” and Loki couldn’t help but agree. This was an awesome match. and that had been an awesome move. But they didn’t have time to celebrate before Crossbones had made his way over and tackled Cap to the ground.

And then there was another commercial break. Great.

They were back in the ring by the time it was over. The table that Thor had put up in the middle of the ring still seemed to be whole, and Loki assumed they hadn’t done anything to it yet. Cap fought Crossbones for a while, and then Hulk was tagged in. Cap had been doing so well at first, but now they were doing everything they could to keep him in their corner, away from Thor.

Thor had a worried look on his face, and he looked like he wanted to get in the ring and hit them both. At some point, Hulk managed to get Cap out of the ring, and Thor took his chance to jump back down, hurrying over to the two of them. Crossbones quickly stepped closer to him, a grin on his face as he cracked his knuckes.

“You think you’re getting past me, huh?” he shouted. “Give it your best shot!”

Thor gave him a long look. The two of them stood there, watching each other, before he slowly bent down, reaching underneath the ring again. Loki assumed he was looking for another chair, but that wasn’t what he pulled back out.

It was a hammer.

A sledgehammer. At least he assumed it was a sledgehammer, but it looked a little different than the ones he had seen in the past. It had a large head, and a thick handle. Loki had never seen him use it before, but it seemed like the crowd knew what was up, because he could hear their excitement. He could vaguely remember reading something about Thor and his hammer, and he assumed this was something he had used several times before.

There was a grin on Thor’s face. A predatory, slightly sadistic grin, and Loki felt a shiver running down his spine. Perhaps watching this had been the right decision after all? The confident look on Crossbones’ face had disappeared, only to be replaced with a scared one. Thor stepped closer to him, and Crossbones immediately tried to flee, but Thor ran after him and hit the handle against his back. Crossbones fell to the floor, and Thor turned his eyes to the audience, raising the hammer high above his head. They cheered for him, and he gave them a quick nod before he swung his hammer against Crossbones’ back. He let out a pained groan, and Thor was just about to hit him again when Hulk grabbed him from behind.

And then there was another commercial break. Oh, come on. Why did they keep doing that whenever things were getting really exciting? What was happening now? Was the Hulk in control of the match? Was Thor getting hurt? Luckily, when they came back on, they showed a short clip of what had happened during the commercial break. Thor had dropped the hammer, and was now lying outside of the ring while Cap was trying to fight back inside of it.

“Come on,” Loki muttered, ignoring the fact that he wasn’t supposed to be rooting for Thor. “Get back in there, you idiot. Get that stupid hammer and win. For once in your life, just win a fucking match.” But Thor didn’t listen to him, because he wasn’t getting up, and Cap had to fight the other two on his own. Loki was barely paying attention to what he was doing, he just wanted Thor to get back up again. He wasn’t actually hurt, was he? No. No, he would be fine. It was nothing.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Hulk slammed Cap down, quickly going for the cover. One, two, and then Thor came out of nowhere to push him away. Loki let out a shout and covered his mouth a second later to shut himself up.

“It’s about time, you bastard,” he muttered, and watched as Thor made his way back out of the ring. Cap just barely managed to force himself up on his feet, but didn’t have time to move before the Hulk had grabbed him and thrown him over his shoulder.

“Come on, Cap!” Thor shouted, and Loki nodded his head in agreement as he moved closer to the TV. It took Cap a long time to get back at the Hulk, but finally he managed to jump up and kick his shoulder. They fought until both of them were exhausted. Finally, the two of them made their way over to their respective corners, jumping forward to tag Crossbones and Thor into the match and then rolling out of the ring. Crossbones quickly climbed inside. Thor didn’t climb inside, though. He climbed up. He jumped from the top rope and managed to kick Crossbones in his stomach. There were plenty of punches thrown, and it seemed like neither one of them was able to get the other one over their shoulders. At last, Thor ran over to the ropes and bounced off of them, hitting his shoulder against Crossbones upper chest, sending him back down on the mat.

The audience cheered as he stalked over to the other side of the ring and grabbed the  table, smiling as he set it up in the middle of the ring. With the Hulk still out cold, no one was there to stop him. He grabbed Crossbones and hoisted him up on top of the table, giving the crowd another glance before he turned around and climbed up to the top rope. He raised one of his fists into the air, and the audience stood up, screaming loudly as Thor jumped. He managed to hit Crossbones with his elbow before he crashed into him, and together the two of them broke the table. Thor quickly threw his arm over his chest, and the referee hit his hand against the mat. One, two, three.

It was over. The audience cheered, and Thor pushed himself up on his feet, swaying just the tiniest bit before he smiled.

He rolled Crossbones out of the ring before he turned to look at Cap, who looked a little bit unsteady while he made his way back to him. Thor’s music played as Cap leaned on Thor, who was more than happy to throw an arm around his shoulder to keep him balanced.

Loki tried not to let the grin that seemed permanently attached to Thor’s lips get to him, but there was just something about him looking like that which immediately had his heart beating faster. His hair was a bit messy, and he had a small cut on his upper arm. Loki was immediately reminded of the fantasy Amora had shared with him. What he wouldn’t have given to be backstage waiting for Thor at this very moment. But he wasn’t. He was sitting here, in front of his TV, watching a man he would never have. The thought was depressing enough for Loki to immediately reach for the remote again, only turning back to the screen once it was black. .

Stupid Thor.

How was he supposed to get over him when he looked so good? The simple thing would have been not to watch him, but that was clearly easier said than done. That was the only thing he could do, though, if he wanted to get over him. He would have to stop watching. No more matches. No more shows. He couldn’t do it again.

Starting right now. He was tempted to turn the TV back on again, if only to see if there would be any interviews. He didn’t want to miss anything, but… No. He couldn’t watch a second longer.

As so, he spent the rest of the evening on his couch. At some point, he did turn his TV back on again, but only so that he could flip through the other channels. He also got a text from Amora, telling him that he’d missed a great match. He decided not to answer that one. He didn’t want to let her know that he’d caved and actually watched the damn thing. She would only rub it in his face, and he wasn’t interested in that.

He actually ended up falling asleep on his couch, but woke up a couple of hours later, groaning loudly when he realized it was two in the morning. He dragged himself into his bedroom, placing his phone on the bedside table before he let himself fall into bed. He was just about to close his eyes again when he heard his phone buzz once, and he reached out, keeping his eyes on the ceiling as he blindly searched for it. It was a text from Thor. Suddenly feeling like someone had splashed some cold water on his face, Loki sat up.

‘Did you watch it?’

He stared down at his phone. That was it? After several days of ignoring him, he was asking him if he had watched his fucking match? Not even an apology? Not even a fucking ‘I’m sorry I’ve been such a jerk, I promise I’m gonna do better from now on’? Loki was livid, and he held on to his phone so tightly his hand was shaking. What a fucking bastard. How dare he?

‘No,’ he wrote, wishing there would have been a way for the text to convey a certain tone, because right now he wanted Thor to know he was angry as fuck. He wasn’t going to tell him he’d watched the match. He wasn’t going to let him know he’d enjoyed it. Fuck no. He put his phone down and let it rest on top of his chest as he waited for a response, gritting his teeth so hard they almost hurt.

He snatched his phone back up again as soon as it started to vibrate, but then he realized he wasn’t getting another text. Thor was calling him. Well, good. Maybe this would give him a chance to yell at him.

“What?” he snapped as he brought the phone to his ear.

There was nothing but silence for a moment, and then he heard Thor’s deep voice.

“You didn’t watch it?”

“No. Why should I have?”

“I thought you liked wrestling?” Thor sounded surprised. “Did you have something more important to do?”

“Yes,” Loki said, and nodded his head. What an arrogant fucker. Did he really think he didn’t have other things going on in his life?  

“Like what? What could have been more important than watching me wrestle? You missed one hell of a match.”

“I had a date.” The words were out of Loki’s mouth before he could stop them, and he pondered them for the next couple of seconds, deciding that maybe this was a good idea. This way, he could get back at Thor, and he could also show him that he wasn’t his number one priority. And, as a plus, he could try to find out if the thought of him being on a date would bother Thor.

“Oh.” Thor was quiet again, and Loki’s heart was beating fast as he waited for him to continue. “I thought… I didn’t realize you would be dating other people.”

“Other people?” Loki repeated. “Thor, we haven’t even been on a date. It’s not like I’m cheating on you.”

“No, of course not,” Thor said. “That’s not what I meant. I just... “ Loki could hear a sigh on the other end. “You’re right. You’re not cheating on me. I guess I just thought we had something special going.”

“Something special?” Loki repeated, and he could feel his anger welling up again, almost suffocating him in the process. “Is that what you would call it? You have been ignoring me for days. You haven’t sent me a single text. I thought it was over. I thought you were done with me, and now all of the sudden you’re asking me about your fucking match? Is that all you care about?”

“Of course not,” Thor said. “You said you were busy. I’ve been busy. I was just trying to give you a chance to focus on your job, while I focused on mine.” He made it sound like the most obvious thing in the world, and Loki pressed his lips together, making a face as he glared up at his ceiling. “Is that why you went on a date? Did you think I wasn’t going to call you again?”

Loki remained silent for a long moment, closing his eyes before he let the words come out of his mouth. “I lied. I didn’t go on a date. I just wanted to hear your reaction. I thought you had given up on… this.”

“I haven’t,” Thor was quick to inform him. “And I’m happy you didn’t go on a date. I was worried I would have to get over there to remind you I’m the one you really want.”

“You say it like it’s a bad thing,” Loki pointed out, and raised his eyebrows. Was Thor that possessive? Would he really have gone all the way to New York just to get him back? He clearly shouldn’t have told him it was a lie. _Damn_.

“What would you have done?” he asked, trying not to sound as curious as he was. “If you would have gotten here, and I would have been seeing someone else, what would you have done?”

“I would have dragged you into your bedroom, of course. Trust me. One night with me, and you wouldn’t even remember the other guy’s name.”

And there was that cockiness again. Loki could never decide if it was the most annoying or hottest thing he had ever experienced.

“That’s awfully cocky of you, but it’s not what I asked for,” he pointed out. “I want details.”

“Oh, it’s going to be one of those conversations? Are you sure you’re ready for it?”

Loki was sure. He had been ready to go back to sleep just a couple of minutes ago, but now that he was sure that Thor still wanted him, he wanted to do this. Thor needed to realize that this could be good. He needed to realize that phone sex with him could be better than having real sex with the people around him.

“Where are you?” he asked, hoping that Thor wouldn’t tell him he was surrounded by friends, or that he was stuck in a car somewhere.

“I’m home, actually. For the first time in a couple of weeks. Since Summerslam was here in LA, I saw no reason not to sleep in my own house. It’s good to be back.”

Yeah, yeah, that was all very interesting, but it wasn’t what Loki was after. Now that he knew they were free to have this kind of conversation, he was going to make sure it happened.

“Good,” he said, and reached down, using his free hand to push his sweatpants down to his knees. “And before you ask what I’m wearing, I think you should know I’m undressing right now.” He had to let go of the phone in order to pull his t-shirt over his head, but soon enough he was left in nothing but his briefs, and he pressed the heel of his hand against his growing erection, holding back a moan as he got just a little bit of friction.

“You know I’d just rip those clothes right off, don’t you?”

Loki arched a brow. “Even if I was wearing my favorite sweater?”

“I’d buy you a new one,” Thor chuckled, and Loki shook his head, telling him to get on with it. Thinking about his favorite sweater being ruined was not going to get him in the mood, not even if he imagined Thor ripping it off of him.

“”I guess I would start by kissing you,” Thor began. “That’s what you’ve been waiting for, isn’t it? You’ve been thinking about my lips ever since that day. Well, I would let you feel them. At first, I would be gentle, just to let you get a taste of what’s to come, and then I would deepen it, tease you with my tongue just to get you a little worked up.”

Loki swallowed, closing his eyes as he imagined it. Of course, this was something he had already thought about several times. Thor’s lips would fit perfectly against his. He just knew it.

“Then I would pick you up and carry you over to the bed.”

Loki quickly opened his eyes again.

“You would carry me?” No one had ever carried him before. He had been lifted up and fucked against a wall, sure, but no one had lifted him up and carried him to a bed. It seemed just a little too… romantic.

“Yeah, sure. You seem to like my muscles, and I’m figuring you’d enjoy my strength, so why not show it off?”

Fair enough. Loki hadn’t actually thought of it that way. He had assumed it was simply Thor’s way of making him feel like some sort of princess. Well, if he was expecting him to swoon the next time he saw him, he had another thing coming.

Thor seemed to take Loki’s lack of response as confirmation that he would indeed enjoy his strength, and when he continued Loki could hear him moving about on the other end.

“I would get on top of you and kiss you again, let you feel just a hint of my weight as I press our chests together. Then I’d make my way down your neck, marking you with my teeth to make sure you remember who you belong to. More importantly, I would place them high enough on your neck to make sure you wouldn’t be able to hide them. I want everyone else to see them as well. Once I have you, I’m not letting you go.” There was a certain edge to Thor’s voice, and even though Loki would have liked to snap at him that he would never belong to anyone, he could feel his cock filling rapidly. He dug his fingers into the sheets, not wanting to touch himself just yet.

“Are you hard yet, Loki?” Thor asked. “Are you touching yourself?”

Loki shook his head, and remembered  a second later that Thor couldn’t see him. “No. Not touching myself.”

“Because you’re waiting for me to do it, aren’t you? And I would. I would touch you. I’d move my hand slowly, giving you just enough friction to drive you crazy, and then I would take you into my mouth. Would you like that, Loki? Would you like me to suck you off?”

Oh, fuck. Loki had always thought he would have been the one to tell Thor exactly what he wanted to do, but this was even better. He thrust his hips up, desperate for some kind of friction, whimpering when he didn’t find any. His hands were still fisted into the sheets, and he had to force himself not to turn around and start humping the bed. Strangely enough, he had never once considered the idea of Thor being the one with his lips around his cock. It had always been the other way around, probably because he was so curious and desperate to finally get to see Thor’s dick. But this was interesting. He had a feeling that he would picture Thor kneeling in front of him every night from now on.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Thor said, sounding amused. “Now that I know you’d like that, I’d make sure to take my time. I would concentrate on nothing but the head, licking your cock until you can’t take it anymore. But I wouldn’t take you back inside my mouth until you beg me to. You think I could do that? Could I make you beg?”

“You could try,” Loki told him, squirming a bit.

“I wouldn’t let you come, you know. I’d pull off just in time, and then I would make sure you spread your legs for me.”

“You really think it’d be that easy?” Loki asked him through gritted teeth, and he could hear Thor let out another quiet chuckle.

“I think it could be. Are you telling me you don’t want it? Because I don’t have to fuck you if you don’t want it.”

Loki licked his lips, considering it for a long moment before he decided that he might as well give him the truth. “I do want it,” he said. “I want you to show me you’re just as good as you claim to be. And you better be really fucking good, because I’m not that easily impressed.” He hadn’t been the last couple of times he’d had sex. Granted, the last time he’d been with anyone was a couple of months ago. By the time Thor and he finally saw each other again, he would probably be desperate enough to spread his legs as soon as he saw him, and he saw no shame in that. Not as long as he was able to show Thor that he wasn’t the only one who could excel in the bedroom.

“I already figured as much. Are you touching yourself?”

“No.” But he wanted to. Oh, how he wanted to.

“Then do it. Touch yourself, Loki. I want to hear you moan. Think about my fingers inside of you, stretching you open as I prepare you for my cock. You’ve been thinking about that, right? I wouldn’t disappoint you, I promise. That dildo you showed me would never be enough again.”

“Fuck,” Loki cursed, and pulled his briefs down with trembling fingers, letting out a drawn out moan as he finally wrapped his hand around himself. “Are you telling me you would wreck me?” he asked, rubbing his thumb against the slit as he smeared his pre-come around. There was so much of it, and Loki realized he could not remember the last time he’d been this horny.

“Would you like me to?” Thor asked, and as Loki listened to his voice he realized that he sounded a little out of breath. He imagined Thor touching himself, fisting his own cock as he thought about fucking him, and that was almost enough to make him come right then and there.

“Yes,” he breathed, frantically nodding his head as he stroked himself. “I wish you were here.” He wished Thor had been the one touching him right now, but his own hand would just have to do. He briefly thought about running over to his closet to get the dildo they had just mentioned, but he quickly realized that he would never be able to stop touching himself long enough to get off the bed.

“If I were, I would be fucking you right now. Think about it, Loki. Think about the stretch as I push my cock into you. Even though I’ve prepared you there would be a slight burn, and you would love it.”

Loki sucked in a breath. Damn. Thor knew him too well, and this was the first time they had taken it this far. By the time they finally saw each other again, he would know exactly what to do in order to make him come apart. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

“And then I would start moving. Would you like me to be gentle, or should I fuck you hard and fast?”

Bastard. As if he didn’t already know the answer to that question. He was just trying to get him to say it out loud. Loki was tempted not to give him the satisfaction, but he was too desperate to come right now, and he needed Thor’s words to get him through it.

“Hard and fast. Fuck, Thor, you would feel so good inside of me. And I know you would like my ass.” He paused. “Everyone does,” he added with a smirk, and was rewarded with a growl into his ear.

“Once I’m through with you, you wouldn’t want anyone else in your ass. I would fuck you just as hard as you need to be fucked. I usually try to hold back because not everyone can take my strength, but I wouldn’t do that with you. I would give you everything I’ve got, fuck you hard enough to make sure you wouldn’t able to sit down the next day without thinking of me.”

Loki bit his lip to hold back another whimper as he thrust his hips up, his hand flying over his dick as his heart hammered against his ribs. He was so close. He just needed one final push.

“Thor,” he moaned, throwing his head back as he shut his eyes tightly. “I’m close. I - ah - I want you to make me come.”

“Then keep touching yourself,” Thor told him. “Think about how good it will feel. Think about how hard I will be holding on to your hips as I thrust into you. I will have you sobbing in no time. Come on, Loki. I want you to come for me. I want to hear you.”

And that, right there, was all he needed. To hear Thor order him to come in that husky voice was enough to finally send him over to edge, and Loki moaned loudly as thick ropes of come painted his stomach. He could vaguely hear Thor saying his name, and by the time he opened his eyes, blinking a couple of times as he tried to get them to work again, Thor was panting just as heavily as he was. He lay there for a long moment, simply listening to Thor’s breathing as he waited for his body to calm down after what could only be described as one of the best orgasms he’d had in a long time.

“That was awesome.” Thor finally broke the silence, and Loki let out a loud snort.

“I’m not sure that’s the word I would use,” he said, and glanced down at his own stomach. He would have to clean himself up before going back to sleep, but he wasn’t sure if his legs would carry him at the moment, which was why he didn’t move from the bed.

“Just think about it,” Thor continued. “If it’s this good now, imagine what we’ll be like when we can actually touch each other.”

“If we ever see each other again,” Loki muttered, trying not to let his bitterness shine through, but Thor must have heard it, because he could hear him sigh heavily.

“We will,” Thor told him. “I promise you, Loki. We will see each other again. Soon.”

At the moment, still caught up in his post-orgasmic haze, Loki was willing to believe him, and he let the corners of his lips stretch up into a smile.

“So,” he said. “Who will you be facing on Raw tomorrow?”


	7. Chapter 7

Now that they had finally done it, it seemed like they just couldn’t stop. They had phone sex again the very next night. And then the night after that. And the night after that. While each time was nothing short of amazing, and usually left him panting and covered in a sheen of sweat, Loki quickly came to realize that he couldn’t let this happen too often. If Thor was already getting everything he wanted, there was no reason for him to want more, which meant that he had to pull back a little bit.

Thor actually didn’t seem too bothered by it when Loki told him he would have to cut back because of work and that these late hours were killing him. That should have been a relief, but it bothered him more than anything else. Why was Thor not pouting? Why was he not begging him to please, please let them have phone sex again? Was he really that understanding, or did he have someone else patiently waiting for him on the other line? If Loki took his own past experiences as an example, the second option seemed a lot more likely. But why would Thor have someone else when he was the one who had sounded genuinely surprised when Loki had told him that he’d been on a date? Maybe Loki had absolutely no reason to worry? Maybe he really just was _that_ annoyingly understanding?

Once he had forced himself to push past his own concerns, Loki decided that he could let it happen once a week. That seemed like it would be enough to keep them at least somewhat satisfied, and at the same time leave Thor longing for more. Usually, they did it on Mondays, because even though Thor was usually pretty tired after the show, Loki also happened to be at his horniest after watching him in the ring. It worked well for them.

On a Monday in the beginning of September, Loki found himself rushing home after work, eager to get to his couch so that he could watch the episode of Raw that was supposed to air in just a couple of minutes. Thor had already sent him plenty of teasing messages that day, making it incredibly difficult for him to concentrate at work, and now he was hoping for a quick show because he couldn’t wait to get to the phone sex. Thor was in for a lot of teasing. Loki needed to return the favor, after all.

Thor came out looking just as gorgeous as ever, and Loki immediately reached for his bottle of water, taking a generous sip as Thor made his way into the ring. He was supposed to be facing Doom, and Loki was of course hoping that he would win.

It turned out to be a relatively short match. Short, but intense, and both of them looked pretty damn tired when it was over. Thor managed to fling his arm over Doom’s chest, and the referee counted to three before ringing the bell. It took him a moment, but Thor finally managed to push himself up, and he turned away from Doom to raise his fist into the air, looking out at the crowd as they cheered for him. Loki wished he would hurry up and get out of there so that he could get ready for their next round of phone sex, but Thor didn’t even have time to leave the ring before someone else’s music hit.

Loki groaned out loud as ‘Shoot to Thrill’ by AC/DC began to play, and his face matched Thor’s face almost exactly when they both pressed their lips together and watched with unimpressed looks on their faces as the Hulk’s manager walked out on stage. As usual, he wore what looked to be an incredibly expensive suit. This time, it was a simple black one, which he had matched with a red shirt and a black tie. His dark sunglasses were covering his eyes as he threw up his hands to do the peace sign, completely ignoring some of the boos he was receiving as he began to walk down the ramp, moving with his head held high and not throwing a single look at the people around him. He jogged up the steps and ducked his head as he climbed into the ring, ignoring Thor for a moment as he walked past him and bowed to the audience, who booed him in return.

“Listen, big guy,” he said as soon as he had been handed a microphone. The music faded away, and Loki crossed his arms over his chest, amused to see Thor do the same thing just a couple of seconds later. Loki was immediately distracted by the way his muscles tensed, and almost missed the following couple of seconds of the conversation.

“You’ve got a mean swing, we both know that, and I accept that just as much as the next person, but don’t you think it’s time you gave iit up?”

Thor gritted his teeth together, and followed him with his eyes as he stepped past him to get to the other side of the ring.

“After all, you may win a few matches here and there, but you’re never going to get the big guy.”

“Get out of this ring, Stark,” Thor growled. “Or I will personally throw you out of it.” Some of the audience members cheered at that, and Stark turned his head over to them.

“Seems you’ve got your little followers agreeing with your every word. Look, I’m not here to fight. I’m just here to offer you a little deal. Okay? Would that be acceptable?”

Thor gave him a long look, and Loki hoped that he would punch him, but he didn’t. Instead, he motioned for Stark to keep going, and Loki let out another miserable groan.

“You’re going after the WWE Championship, right? Well, so are we, and unless you haven’t noticed, my client actually has a shot at it. He is Mr. Money in the Bank. You, on the other hand, has accomplished _what_ so far?”

Thor immediately took a step forward, and Loki could hear the audience begin to chant. It took him a couple of seconds to realize what they were saying, but nodded his head in agreement when he did. “Throw him out! Throw him out!” Yes. Thor should have thrown him out a long time ago. Maybe he would even break those damn sunglasses.

“Like I said, I’m not here to start a fight.”

“What do you want from me, Stark?” Thor asked, and Stark boldly took a couple of steps closer to him, even though he clearly should have been running the other way.

“Hulk doesn’t like to admit this, and neither do I, but we do actually consider you a threat, and it would be much easier for us if you were… out of the picture. Now, you are of course free to seek out the other championships. Hell, you can even go after the Diva’s Championship for all I care. Just get out of our way, okay? We both know you don’t stand a chance either way. At least my guy is strong enough to…”

Thor stepped forward, and Stark did not have time to move out of his way before he had lifted him up and thrown him over his shoulders. Loki leaned closer to the TV, and tensed up as soon as he heard the Hulk’s music hit. Hulk came out on stage and wasted no time before he began to make his way over to the ring,, but Stark yelled at him not to come any closer.

“It’s fine,” he said. “It’s fine. Clearly, you want to do this the hard way, but for all of our sakes… Maybe you should let me down? You’ve just had a match. What do you think happens if my client gets into the ring?”

As much as he hated to admit it, Loki knew he was right. Thor had just had a match, he was already tired. If he tried to go up against the Hulk, he would lose, and his victory would mean nothing. Thor seemed to realize the same thing, and he turned his eyes over to Hulk, who slowly took a couple of steps closer. Thor hesitated for another second or so, before he finally threw Stark over the top rope, and the audience cheered as he landed on top of the Hulk, who just barely managed to catch him.

“You do realize you will regret this, I hope?” Stark said as soon as he had his feet back on the ground, and he patted Hulk on the shoulder to force him to start walking away from there. Thor remained in the ring as the two of them left, and he let out a visible sigh as his music began to play once more.

Later that same night, after another amazing couple of minutes during which Loki had teased Thor enough to make him beg for mercy, Thor for some reason decided that it was the right time to talk about wrestling. 

“Hey, I forgot to ask. What did you think of Thanos?”

Loki, who was still trying to calm down after his intense orgasm, blinked a couple of times as he gazed up at the ceiling.

“Who?” he asked, and he could hear Thor groan on the other end. “Should I know that name?” It sounded vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn’t for the life of him place it at the moment. Though really, Thor should have seen that coming after the orgasm he’d just had. He had been a little louder than usual, after all.

“Thanos? The WWE World Heavyweight Champion? You saw him at Summerslam, didn’t you?”

Loki raised his brows, spending a couple of seconds trying to remember if he had actually seen this person or not.

“No, I didn’t see him,” he finally said. “I stopped watching after your match.” Because he’d been pissed off, but they didn’t need to g down that road again..

“That’s too bad. You missed one hell of a match. I felt bad for Luke. It was a massacre. He never stood a chance against him. You should look it up. It’s worth watching, trust me.”

“Isn’t Luke Cage that really big guy?” Loki asked. “How can it have been a massacre?”

“Because no one stands a chance against Thanos,” Thor said, sounding surprisingly lighthearted. “Why do you think he’s held the championship for so long? He’s had it over a year now. Sure, it could also have something to do with him only defending it a couple of times a year, but that doesn’t change the fact that when he does defend it, whoever’s in the ring with him usually doesn’t stand a chance.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing you didn’t get that briefcase, then,” Loki pointed out, and reached up to wipe the back of his hand against his damp forehead. “Let Hulk fight him. I would enjoy seeing him get beaten up for a change.”

“But I want that championship. I’ve wanted that championship ever since I realized I wanted to be a wrestler. It’s the goal. Which means that sooner or later… I might have to fight him. Unless Hulk cashes in and actually wins the championship from him. And I can beat him. I’ve already proven I can beat him.”

If Loki hadn’t already known that Thor obviously wanted to be the champion, he would have been able to tell just by listening to his voice. He could hear the passion in it as he spoke about that silly championship, and he hoped more than ever that Thor would be able to get it. As far as Loki was concerned, he deserved it more than anyone else.

“When is your next chance?” he asked. “When will he have to defend his championship again?”

Thor sighed. “Well, he’s going to be doing it at the Night of Champions.”

“The what?” Loki interrupted him.

“It’s our next PPV,” Thor told him. “But I’m not the one facing him. And then… I don’t think he’s going to be at Hell in a Cell. He could be at Survivor Series. Don’t think he’s going to be at TLC. And then… Well, I suppose I could try winning the Royal Rumble in January. Whoever wins that gets a chance to fight the champion at Wrestlemania. But that’s it. If I don’t win the Royal Rumble, I’m going to have to wait another couple of months. Which is fine. I’ll get it sooner or later.”

“I’m just sick of waiting,” Loki groaned, and rolled over to his side as Thor chuckled warmly.

“Then how do you think I feel?” he asked. “I’ve been waiting for years. And it’s only now that I feel like I’m… close to it.”

“Just hurry up, okay?” Loki murmured as he closed his eyes, wrapping the blanket around himself as he let out a tired sigh.

“I’ll try my best,” Thor told him.

Thor wasn’t the only one who wanted to talk about wrestling. Amora called him a couple of days later, just to tell him that he was totally missing out on some great matches, and that he was an idiot for not trying to get Thor to forgive him.

“I don’t understand why I should be the one to apologize,” Loki said, biting into the red apple he’d just picked up as he made his way through his apartment. “He’s the one who decided to ignore me. Sure, I ignored him first, but not for days. Just for a couple of hours. There’s a big difference.”

“You really are an idiot,” Amora told him. “He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you, and you blew it.”

“How is he the best thing that’s ever happened to me?” Loki asked, sitting down on his couch with a puzzled expression on his face. “I’ve only met him once.”

“But… Have you seen him? He is a god. As in an _actual_ god. They’re not lying when they call him one, you know. He looks just like one. Besides, from what I’ve heard he seems like a really nice guy. And what were the odds of him being interested in you?”

“Hey!” Loki protested, but Amora immediately shushed him, and he turned his head to give his phone a nasty glare.

“I didn’t mean it like that. You’re a very… No, actually, you _are_ lucky he was even interested in you. But what I really meant was that I’ve always assumed he was straight. What were the odds of him being bi? I mean, really? You were lucky. So, so lucky, and then you screwed it up because you’re such a stubborn bastard. Seriously, Loki. I’ve never met someone so… eager to ruin his own happiness. Because that’s what you do. That’s what you always do. You always push people away. You never let anyone get close to you. Except for me. If you ask me, I think that’s why you’re not calling him back. Because you’re scared. You’re scared he might actually like you, and for some reason you feel like that would be the most awful thing in the world. Fuck, Loki, you could at least try to be happy, couldn’t you? At least this once, right?”

Loki finished chewing on the piece of apple he’d had in his mouth and swallowed it all down before he spoke up. “Are you done?”

At first, Amora didn’t answer him, and Loki was just about to ask her again when she finally spoke up. “Yes. I think so.”

“Good,” Loki said, and took another bite of his apple. “Then I suppose I should tell you that Thor and I are talking again. He called me… the day after Summerslam. And we made up.”

Silence again. Loki could practically hear Amora’s rage welling up on the other end of the line. He was sure she had another rant on the tip of her tongue, but she settled for a much more subtle “Fuck you”.

“I couldn’t help it,” Loki said, and reached for a napkin to wipe his mouth before he continued. “And that was quite a rant. I’m impressed.” But it didn’t faze him, because he’d heard it all before. But only in bits in pieces. He’d never heard such a long rant from her before, and he wondered how long she’d been forcing herself to hold that one in.

“Are you still playing your little games?”

Loki shrugged, and turned his apple over to make sure he had finished it. “Sometimes. I can’t let him have it all, can I? It shouldn’t be too easy. But you’ll be happy to know we’ve finally had phone sex. More than once. Many times, actually. I finally had to cut down because I felt like I was getting addicted to it. And also because I was showing up to work with dark circles under my eyes. It wasn’t pretty.”

“You’re unbelievable,” Amora snorted, and Loki had a feeling she was shaking her head at him.

“Well?” she said after another long moment of nothing but silence. “How was he? How… is he? This has to be some pretty spectacular phone sex if you were getting addicted to it.”

“He’s... “ Loki leaned his head back against the couch as he thought about it. “He’s good. Very good. It was surprisingly easy for him to figure out what I like.”

“So he’s using the strength card, I assume? And he keeps telling you he’s got a big dick, right?”

“When have I ever talked about wanting big dicks?” Loki asked, suddenly wondering if perhaps he should have had a glass of wine instead of an apple. It seemed like this was going to turn into one of those conversations, and if he was going to keep talking about sex, he needed a drink.

“You do it when you’re drunk,” Amora informed him. “Not always, but I’ve heard it once or twice. I remember once… I think it was a couple of weeks before we went to see Raw… Anyway, you were so drunk, and you kept talking about how much of a disappointment your last guy had been, and that you really just wanted to try a big dick.” She let out a laugh. “I can still remember the tone of your voice. You sounded like you were on something other than cheap vodka. ‘I just want a big dick, Amora. You know? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a big dick for once?’”

Loki tried to ignore the heat that had spread to his cheeks, and shook his head as he stood up, heading into the kitchen to throw the apple core away.

“You’re delusional,” he said. “But yes, he does talk about his dick at times. I’ve tried to get him to send me a picture but so far he hasn’t delivered.”

“Well, that doesn’t surprise me. He probably wants to be more careful than that. What happens if that kind of picture ends up online?”

“I would never post it online,” Loki said. “I wouldn’t want to share. No way. That picture would be all mine.” He was sure he would be looking at it every night. It would be nice to have some kind of visual as he thought about the things he would want to do to Thor.

“Would I get to see it?” Amora asked, and Loki pretended to think about it for a minute.

“No. Absolutely not. It would be my picture. Besides, I don’t think your dear fiance would want you to look at other men’s dicks.”

“Oh, who cares what he thinks? You couldn’t possibly keep that kind of picture from me, could you? I’m the one who introduced you to him. I feel like I deserve some kind of reward for that, you know.”

“Fine,” Loki said, and shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe you would get to see the picture. Maybe.” It really wasn’t an issue, because it didn’t look like Thor would ever want to send him that kind of picture. Loki supposed that he shouldn’t have blamed him, but… he really kind of did. Mostly because he was desperate to see it by now.

“I would offer you a picture of my fiance’s dick in return, but you’ve already seen it.”

Loki nodded his head, raising his eyebrows as he thought back to that one time when he’d spent the night at Amora’s place and her then boyfriend had decided to surprise her in the shower. Except that Loki had been the one using the shower. It had been an… interesting moment, and they had both gotten an eyeful. Of course, Amora had proceeded to laugh for about ten minutes when she realized what they’d done. Not even Loki telling her that her boyfriend had totally been checking him out had made her stop. As such, Loki had ended up teaming up with him so that the two of them could call her crazy together. Amora had proceeded to suggest a threesome, and the team had quickly dissolved.

“So when are are you seeing him again?” Amora asked, effectively bringing him back to the present.

“I don’t know. We’re busy men.”

“But you want to, don’t you? You can only deal with your own hand for so long, right?”

“Why are you so interested in my sex life?” Loki asked, and sighed loudly into the phone.

“Because I don’t have one at the moment. My lovely fiance is in California, remember? And, unlike you, we haven’t had time for phone sex. He’s been gone a week, I miss him a lot, and now I’m just trying to live vicariously through you. Is there something wrong with that?”

Loki shrugged. He didn’t think that was fair. She may not have had phone sex in a week, but he hadn’t had actual sex with Thor. Ever. And it had been about two months since they’d met now. Two months since he’d felt Thor’s lips against his own. He was going to die. He needed to be touched again. He needed to feel Thor’s strong hands on his hips. He needed to feel him holding him down and giving him the best fuck he’d ever had. But it was never going to happen, was it? He had been waiting for so long now, and he was getting desperate. But he couldn’t let anyone else fuck him either. Clearly, Thor had already ruined him for all others. Just like he’d said he would. Bastard. How could he do that with just his voice? It wasn’t fair. Loki supposed that this should have been enough to scare him, that this should have made him hesitant about seeing Thor in person again. If he had managed to do this to him with nothing but his voice, what was he going to be able to do to him when they finally slept together? What if it got worse? What if he would never be able to stop thinking about him? What if… Clearly, he was obsessing. And he blamed it all on Amora.

The two of them talked for a while longer, discussing the possibility of him seeing Thor again, and whether or not he should try to get Thor to come to him instead. They both agreed that he would obviously have the upper hand if they were at his place, and it would also show him that Thor wanted him. If he was willing to fly all the way to New York just to see him… Yes, that would be a relatively good sign. But if Loki went to see him, he could leave whenever he wished, and he could also let Thor know that he was serious about this. He joked around a lot, but that didn’t mean he didn’t actually want it. He wanted Thor. He had wanted him for a long time now. And if he didn’t have him soon, he felt like he would most likely lose it.

Later that night, Loki sat on the couch with his laptop in his lap, looking for reasonably priced flight tickets. He found plenty, but the problem was that he didn’t even know where Thor was at the moment. He never really kept track, unless Thor specifically made sure to mention it. Not that he was actually going to buy a ticket. Not yet. He was just looking. He happened to be curious, and he wondered if Thor had done the same thing. Had he also been looking up flights while wondering when they would get to see each other again?

After the following Raw, and after another incredible round of phone sex, Thor was the one to bring it up.

“I want to see you,” he said, and Loki closed his eyes as he listened to his voice, carefully reaching for a tissue to wipe the come off his stomach. “Don’t get me wrong, I love having phone sex with you. I love hearing your voice. But… I want to see you again. As amazing as this is, just talking to you isn’t enough anymore. I want to touch you. And not just talk about touching you. I want to do… every single thing I’ve told you I want to do to you.”

“That’s a long list of things to do,” Loki pointed out, a lazy smile stretching over his lips as he let the tissue fall to the floor. “Are you sure you would be able to handle it?”

“I’m not saying I have to do everything at once. But you know what I mean. You want to see me too, don’t you?”

Loki slowly opened his eyes again, and stared up at his ceiling for a long moment before he answered him. “I do.”

“Then let’s do it,” Thor said, and Loki could hear how eager he was at the thought of them actually getting together again. “Look, I’ll buy you a ticket, okay? Actually, you’ll get two. One flight ticket, and one ticket to a taping of Raw or Smackdown. Whichever you prefer.”

“It’s not about the money, Thor,” Loki said, and huffed out a sigh as he pushed himself up, kicking the blanket away from himself. “I’ve got plenty of it. The only thing that’s stopping me is that I have a job. Unlike you, I work five days a week. Sometimes more than that. I don’t have time to fly out and see you.”

“You’re right,” Thor said. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have just assumed it was about money. I know it’s about more than that. And I wish I would have time to fly to New York, but there’s so much happening right now. I’m not just doing Raw and Smackdown each week, I’m also in the middle of promoting the company, and I might be shooting a movie in a couple of months, so we’re still talking about that…”

“You might be shooting a movie?” Loki repeated, and raised a brow. “I didn’t realize you were also an actor.”

Thor chuckled. “I’m not. But a lot of wrestlers have been in movies. Not in.. big, Hollywood movies. Just ones produced by the company. There’s this cop movie I might join. We’ll see. I don’t know if I should take it.”

“Would you be playing a good cop or a bad cop?” Loki asked with a sly smile on his lips he really hoped Thor would have been able to see.

“You’re not trying to get us started again, are you?” Thor asked. “Because I need to wait another couple of minutes before I can do this.”

“Just answer the question.”

“Good cop. I mean, what else?”

“I don’t know,” Loki mused, and rolled over onto his stomach. “After everything I’ve heard, I think you could be a suitable bad cop. If you really tried, that is.”

“Is this your way of trying to tell me you’re into roleplaying? Because if so, I’ve got a couple of scenarios we could try.”

“Is that so?” Loki found himself to be intrigued, and he brushed his fingers against his bottom lip as he waited for Thor to elaborate, which he unfortunately did not do. Instead, he let out a long, wistful sigh, and Loki had a feeling he knew what was coming up next.

“I suppose you’ll get to find out when we see each other. Not that I think we’ll get into role playing straight away. This will be our first time. I’m going to enjoy just being myself.”

“I’m going to enjoy it too.” There was not a single shred of doubt in his mind. Loki knew he was going to be having the time of his life. And, hopefully, he would be able to make sure Thor felt the same way. That was crucial, after all, in order to make sure Thor wanted to come back for more.

“Why don’t I tell you how much I’m going to make you enjoy it?” Loki suggested, and turned around to lie on his back again. “I’m sure it won’t take me long to… get you ready for a second round.”

“Give it your best shot,” Thor said, and Loki grinned.

After their little chat, Loki couldn’t stop thinking about possibly taking some time off. He wouldn’t need very long. If he just made sure he didn’t have to go into work on a Friday, then he could head over to where Thor would be, spend some quality time with him, and then return on Sunday. That way, he would be back to work again on Monday. Simple enough, right? He knew that he probably should have waited for Thor to come to him, but he was getting desperate, and if this was the only way to make this work, he was willing to give it a shot. He sent Thor a text to ask him where he would be two weeks from now, and Thor quickly let him know that they would be in Miami.

‘How would you feel about a little visit?’ Loki wrote, and sent that before searching for flights that would take him to Florida. He had just found a time he assumed would be suitable when his phone buzzed, and he quickly grabbed it while keeping his eyes on his laptop screen.

‘Fuck. Are you serious?’

‘Very. Where will you be staying?’ He needed to know if their first time would be taking place in Thor’s house, or in some random hotel room. Of course, he was hoping for Thor’s house, even if he wasn’t exactly looking forward to going to L.A. Miami would have been much easier for him.

‘I’ll probably stay there. Would that be okay? I know a hotel room isn’t exactly what we had in mind.’ But it would have to do. It was better than nothing. And hopefully, now that he knew he would be coming, Thor would make sure to get a nice hotel room. Loki did not want to end up fucking in some sleazy room where the sheets probably hadn’t been washed for months. If that was the case, he would probably head right back home to Manhattan and his Egyptian cotton sheets. And maybe Thor would make sure to follow him.

‘It’s fine,’ he wrote back, and the two of them continued to text each other as he got everything done. Of course, he hesitated for quite a long moment before he finally pressed the button to confirm that he did want to book these tickets, and he closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch as soon as he had. It was happening. It was finally happening. He was going to Miami. He was going to Miami to spend time with Thor. In his hotel room. He had a feeling they probably wouldn’t leave the bed, and he was fine with that. That was the only reason he was going there. Because he wanted to have sex. Never in his life had he gone through so much trouble just to sleep with someone. He just hoped Thor would be worth it.

‘There we go,’ Loki typed as soon as he had grabbed his phone, and he took a deep breath to calm himself down. ‘It’s done. We’ll see each other in two weeks. You better be ready for me.’

The response came about thirty seconds later.

'I'm sure I can handle it. You're the one who's going to be sore on the way home.'


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. I would like to apologize for this chapter taking so long. It's been really difficult to write, for many different reasons. I have been doubting myself a lot lately. My writing, this fic, this chapter... But that's not important. What is important is that it's here now, and I hope you'll all like it. Oh, and I promise, you're not going to have to wait this long for the next chapter.

Loki felt like he was close to reaching his breaking point. He had seriously had it up to here with screaming babies, overly cheerful stewardesses, and - last but not least - the annoying guy sitting next to him who for some reason seemed to think he was interested in having a conversation with him.

He wasn’t.

The flight was only supposed to be about three hours long, and yet he found himself wondering if he was going to be able to make it through without wanting to do something drastic. Like jump. Or stab someone with a pen. Why had he agreed to this again? Why had he decided that he should be the one to get on a plane, when he was the one who worked five days a week? Why couldn’t Thor do it? He only worked two days a week. Two fucking days. This was ridiculous, and it was without a doubt the most extreme thing he had ever done just to get himself laid. Thor had better be worth it. Loki needed this to be the best fuck of his life, or else he was going to throw a fit. Good thing Thor was a wrestler. He probably wouldn’t care if he tried to punch him, which was what he would do if he ended up being disappointed in any way.

He couldn’t even send Thor a text to let him know he was going to strangle someone, and he felt like he was slowly but surely going insane. The day had really sucked so far. He had been forced to head into work even though it was supposed to be his day off. His coworkers had promised him that it would only take about an hour or so, but of course he’d ended up staying for two. Luckily, he had still managed to make it to the airport on time, but not without cursing about a hundred times on the way.

Now he’d been stuck on this plane for one and a half hour, so he had about half the time left. Great. He forced himself to focus on why he was doing this. He was doing it because he wanted to see Thor. Because he would _finally_ get to kiss him. And hopefully much more than that. He didn’t know how Thor felt about it, but Loki wanted to get to bed as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to talk, and he didn’t want to exchange any kind of pleasantries. He just wanted to get to it. He hadn’t touched himself in two weeks. Yes. Two whole weeks. But not because he hadn’t wanted to.

It was all Thor’s fault. He had come up with the brilliant idea that they should try not to have any more phone sex until they saw each other again, and Loki had begrudgingly agreed to it, but not before teasing Thor about being way too much of a romantic. They weren’t about to get married, after all. They had no reason to try to save themselves now. Still, Thor had insisted, and after getting no release for two weeks, Loki would need his hands on him as soon as they saw each other. His right leg bounced as he looked out the window. Not even the bright blue sky was enough to calm him down, and he let out a heavy sigh.  It was crazy, really, that he was going to get to see Thor again in just a couple of hours. And this time he wouldn’t have to pretend. If he wanted to ask Thor about wrestling, he could. If he wanted to _tease_ him about wrestling, he could. He would not be holding back this time, and he hoped Thor would be okay with that. Of course, he was hoping he would get the same treatment in return. He did not want Thor to hold back. In any way.

Finally, after another excruciating hour and fifty minutes, the plane landed. Loki was one of the first ones to stand up, and he hurried as much as possible to get away from the guy he’d been sitting next to, not interested in anything else he had to say about Miami or him having a nice trip. Then it was all about the usual trouble of having to find his bag and make his way out of the godforsaken airport.

The first thing that struck him as he exited the building was the heat. New York had been relatively nice for the last couple of days. There had even been some rain, which had been a huge relief after the heatwave they’d had to suffer through for the last couple of weeks. But here in Miami, the sun was shining, and Loki immediately got his sunglasses out of his bag and slipped them on. He realized that perhaps he should have worn something else, and not the black pants, white shirt, and leather shoes he currently was. Oh, well. It was all about to come off soon enough. He sent a quick text to Amora to let her know he had landed, and then another text to Thor to let him know that he was now getting into a cab. Thor had already given him the name of the hotel, but Loki hadn’t had time to look it up online, and he was in for a bit of a surprise. Not that he cared too much about it. As long as Thor’s room had a bed, he would try not to complain. The driver asked him if he was there for business, and Loki shrugged his shoulders as he removed his sunglasses and glanced out the tinted windows.

“Something like that,” he said.

He noticed something that felt a lot like butterflies fluttering in his chest, and he did his best to ignore them as he watched the buildings they passed by, thankful that the driver didn’t ask him any more questions. He wasn’t sure if he would have been able to concentrate well enough to have a conversation. The ride to the hotel only took about thirty minutes, and when the driver told him they were almost there, Loki was incredibly tempted to tell him to keep driving because he felt like he wasn’t ready. He needed another ten minutes or so to prepare himself. At least. But the driver stopped the car, and Loki stepped out, letting out a sigh as he looked through the glass doors at what looked like to be a really big, probably quite expensive hotel. Thor had chosen wisely. Once the driver had been paid, Loki made his way inside. The lobby was huge, with white walls and a dark brown parquet floor that looked so shiny Loki wondered if he was going to end up tripping. There were some comfortable looking couches and armchairs on the other side of the room, but his eyes went straight to the elevators. Thor had told him to give his name to the man behind the desk, and Loki walked over to do just that, being greeted by a smiling man with way too much gel in his brown hair. Once he had given him his name, the man gave him a nod and told him his luggage would be brought up to the room as soon as he had been settled in. Loki wasn’t sure what that meant, and focused instead on which room he was supposed to go to. Room 407. That’s where Thor was waiting for him.

He made his way over to the elevators and stepped inside, wringing his hands together as soon as he had pressed the right button. This was it. He was about to see Thor again, and for some reason he was a lot more nervous now than he had been the first time he had talked to him. Why? They knew each other now, and they were used to talking. Why was he nervous? Luckily, the elevator had a big mirror on one of its walls, and Loki ran his fingers through his dark hair before moving his other hand over his shirt to straighten it out and make sure it looked okay. When the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened with a ding, Loki held his breath as he turned around and stepped out of it. He could not remember ever being this nervous before having sex with someone. Not even his first time had been this bad, but this wasn’t just some random person he was about to have sex with. This was Thor. Thor, the huge, charming wrestling star, who had probably slept with more people than he could count. Loki knew he had a lot to live up to, but he considered that a challenge, and it was one he was more than willing to take.

Once he was standing in front of the door that had the number 407 on it, Loki stuck his tongue out to wet his dry lips before he knocked on the door.

The few seconds it took for the door to open felt like hours, and yet it still wasn’t enough to prepare him for the sight that was Thor. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, just like he had last time, and his hair was once again pulled back in a messy bun. There was a huge smile on his face, and he looked just like a ray of sunshine, enough for Loki to wonder if he should have kept his sunglasses on.

“Finally,” Thor said, and before Loki knew what was happening he had grabbed his arm and pulled him inside, barely closing the door before he pushed him up against it. Loki let out a muffled groan as his back hit the door, and didn’t have time to  register what was going on before Thor’s lips were on his. It probably took him about half a minute to even register what was going on. A couple of seconds ago he had been alone in that elevator, and now he was here, and Thor was kissing him. He was actually _kissing_ him. There was no brushing of his lips against his own this time. There was actual pressure. Thor was probably wondering why he wasn’t responding, because suddenly he was pulling back, an apology most likely about to slip out of him. With Thor’s lips no longer being pressed against his, Loki was _finally_ able to snap out of it. He quickly slipped his arms around Thor’s neck to keep him in place and pulled him back in for another kiss.

It felt surreal to finally be doing this. He had been dreaming about it for months, and as if the excitement and general euphoria wasn’t enough, he also felt a huge sense of relief because Thor’s lips felt perfect against his own, just as he had predicted they would. He quickly parted them and met Thor’s tongue with his own, drinking in his taste as he dug his fingers into his t-shirt, desperate for something to hold on to. It felt like Thor’s hands were everywhere at once. He felt them against his hips, chest, stomach, and then finally on his ass. He could do nothing to stop the groan that slipped from his lips and into the kiss as Thor made sure to squeeze his ass, and he pulled back, giving himself no more than a second or two to breathe before he moved back in. There was no time to think. The only thing he could do was to go with it, and Thor was making it way too easy for him. He wasn’t giving him a break. He gave him no time to stop and think about what was happening as he pushed him harder against the door, neither of them caring about what could be going on outside.

Thor slowly moved his hands back to his hips again, and Loki let out a yelp into the kiss as he was lifted with such an ease that the yelp quickly turned into a moan. He eagerly wrapped his legs around Thor’s waist, clinging to him as he was held up against the door. He had never been a fan of this position, mostly because he was quite a tall person himself and he had always been worried about getting dropped, but with Thor he felt one hundred percent safe. He did this for a living, after all. Not the sex thing, as far as he knew, just the holding people up thing. He had to be strong, and the fact that he could hold him up like it was nothing was a bigger turn on than Loki cared to admit. Thor kept his hands on his waist as he rolled their hips together, and Loki groaned into the kiss, pulling back a bit to allow himself to breathe. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked at Thor, who was staring back at him with those intensely blue eyes. Loki’s jaw dropped open as he let out another moan, and the corner of Thor’s lips stretched into an infuriating smirk, prompting Loki to move his hand to the back of his neck and pull him in for another kiss.

It felt like the entire world suddenly revolved around Thor. All of his senses were focused on him. There was a minty taste to his kisses, like he’d been chewing gum just a couple of minutes earlier, and he smelled like whatever citrus smelling shower gel he had to be using. He must have taken a shower recently. His hair was still damp under Loki’s fingers. It was intoxicating, and Loki could feel his head spinning as he let Thor continue to roll their hips together, slowly building up their arousal. Soon enough, his cock was straining against the fabric of his underwear, and Loki was about three seconds away from begging for some release when Thor moved one of his hands in between their bodies. Without Loki having to say a word, he pulled his zipper down, and Loki’s breath hitched in his throat when Thor wrapped his fingers around his cock. _Oh_. That was exactly what he had been waiting for. Thor’s hand felt big and hot around him, and Loki thrust his hips into his closed fist, letting out another unbashful moan at the friction.

As Thor began to jerk him off, Loki desperately wanted to move his hands down and do the same thing to Thor, but he couldn’t let go of Thor’s shirt. Especially not when Thor let go of him with his other hand as well. A surprised noise left Loki’s mouth as Thor moved his other hand to the buttons on his shirt. He held on to him as tightly as he could, almost forgetting about Thor’s hand on him for a moment before he could finally convince himself that he wasn’t going to fall. Thor pressed their lips together in another deep kiss, and Loki did his best to respond, moaning shamelessly into the kiss when he felt Thor rubbing his thumb against the head of his cock. Thor was using his other hand to try to unbutton his shirt, fumbling far too much for Loki’s liking. He couldn’t tell who was more frustrated, and was about to ask Thor if he needed help when he simply ripped the shirt open. Some of the buttons fell to the floor, and Loki pulled back from the kiss, an angry curse on the tip of his tongue which was just barely stopped in time when Thor pressed his lips to his neck. His anger faded almost immediately, and Loki leaned his head back against the door, trying to give Thor as much room as possible to plant as many kisses as he could to his neck.

He could feel himself rapidly moving closer to his orgasm, and he wondered if Thor was planning on leaving himself hanging. He couldn’t have gotten any friction since he’d stopped moving their hips together, and he had to be turned on as well. Loki had felt it. He still wished he could have done something about it, but when Thor was no longer holding on to him, there was no way he could let go of his shoulders.

He finally got an answer just a couple of seconds later when Thor pulled his hand away from his cock, and moved his other hand back to his hip. He could hear the scraping sound of another zipper being pulled down, and he opened his eyes to look at Thor, but had to close them again when he felt Thor’s cock brush against his own. Oh, wow. Thor felt big. It was difficult compare like this, but he was pretty sure that Thor’s cock was thicker than his own.

It was Thor’s turn to groan when Loki thrust his hips forward, sliding their cocks together. He was so close now. He just needed a bit more friction, and it seemed like Thor was more than willing to provide it since he wrapped his hand around both of their erections, clumsily jerking them both off as he turned his lips back to Loki’s neck.

“Fuck,” Loki muttered, and tightened his legs around Thor’s waist, as if he would be able to pull him any closer. Thor’s hand was still warm around him, but it was being able to feel his cock against his own that finally did it for him. He let out a loud moan as he came, thrusting weakly into Thor’s hand as he coated it with his come. Thor didn’t stop moving, though. He kept going, stroking him through his orgasm while working himself closer to his own. Loki hissed when Thor bit down on his neck, and a couple of seconds later he could feel more come being added to his own.

Slowly, Thor pulled his hand away again, and Loki waited a long moment before he opened his eyes, his lips parted as he tried to get his breathing back under control. He slowly loosened his grip on Thor’s shirt, and swallowed several times before Thor lifted his head. The two of them stared into each other’s eyes, and nothing could be heard apart from the sound of their heavy breathing. Eventually, a smile stretched itself across Thor’s lips, and he let out a quiet chuckle.

“Hey,” he said, and Loki couldn’t stop himself from smiling back at him.

“Hi.”

It was as if they were only just now realizing what had just happened, and while it was not at all how Loki had imagined this day to go, he wasn’t complaining. It was difficult to find something to complain about when he was still held up against the wall by the biggest man he had ever kissed.

“I swear, I didn’t plan for this to happen,” Thor said, voicing Loki’s thoughts out loud. “But when I saw you, I just… I had to do it. Sorry about the shirt, by the way,” he added, and raised one of his hands to brush it against the upper half of his shirt where three buttons were now missing. “It wasn’t your favorite, was it?”

Loki shook his head. “Not exactly. But I still might force you to buy a new one.”

Thor laughed at that, and leaned in to press their lips together. He pulled back just a couple of seconds later and wiped his hand against his own shirt before he moved it to Loki’s waist, slowly letting him slide back down again. Once he was sure that Loki would be able to stand on his own, he let him go and took a couple of steps away from him. Loki ignored his weak legs and leaned against the wall as he buttoned what he could of his shirt and tucked himself away. When he looked over at Thor, he realized that he had done the same thing, and he immediately frowned.

“Wait, that’s it?” he asked. “You’re still not going to let me see it?”

“Let you see what?” Thor asked, and threw him an innocent look over his shoulder as he headed into the bathroom, but Loki caught a hint of a grin on his lips before he disappeared from view. .

“You know very well what I’m talking about,” Loki pointed out, and huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I have been waiting for months now, you insensitive brute. Months. Why are you still dressed?”

Thor laughed and stepped back out again, walking over to him so quickly that Loki had to press his back against the wall to keep himself standing.

“I was thinking I should take you to bed first. Then we can get naked.” Thor reached up and cupped his chin, and Loki allowed him to tilt his head up. “Don’t think I haven’t thought about this just as much as you have. I’ve spent more than enough nights thinking about finally getting to undress you.”

“Then why don’t you?” Loki challenged, and raised a brow. “I’m here now, aren’t I?” They didn’t have to imagine what it would be like anymore. They could do it. They could do whatever they wanted, and the fact that they were wasting time standing around doing nothing was both insane and incredibly stupid. As far as he was concerned, what had just happened was nothing more than an appetizer. It was a tease, a hint of what was to come. It had left him unsatisfied and hungry for more, and with heat practically radiating from Thor’s body, it was all he could do not to throw himself at him.

“That’s true,” Thor agreed, a thoughtful look on his face as he nodded his head. “You are. I guess it’s time for me to carry you to bed then?”

“You’re not actually going to carry me, are you?” Loki asked, giving him a doubtful look. The bed was only a couple of feet away. The room wasn’t that big, after all. Clearly, Thor had not cared enough to get them a suite.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Thor asked, his grin turning a little cocky as he pulled his hand back. “You know you’ll like it.”

Since Loki was still leaning against the wall, and since Thor’s arms were about the size of his head, he knew there wasn’t much he could do to put a stop to his silly little games. If Thor wanted to carry him, they both knew very well he could. The only thing left for Loki to do was to protest loudly, especially when there was no bridal carry involved. Instead, Thor simply put his hands on his hips and hoisted him up over his shoulder, carrying him like a sack of fucking potatoes.

“You’re going to pay for this,” Loki muttered as he felt his blood rushing to his head, and Thor simply chuckled in return. He didn’t even have the decency to give him a warning before he tossed him down, once again manhandling him with an incredible ease,and Loki let out a muffled groan as his back hit the mattress. Not because it hurt, but because he hadn’t been prepared for it. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been tossed around like that. It probably hadn’t happened since he’d been a kid. His brothers had always enjoyed letting him know how much stronger they were. He had to admit, though, that it was a lot more enjoyable to be manhandled by Thor. Possibly because he knew this wasn’t going to lead to him being tickled, or tortured in some other cruel way. With Thor, it would only lead to the most pleasurable of consequences. He looked good, too, standing at the foot of the bed, his arms crossed over his chest as he gazed down at him. Loki wondered if this as what it was like to be a wrestler and face Thor in the ring. If this was what they got to experience, perhaps wrestling was not such a stupid career choice after all? Not that it was something Loki would ever consider. He didn’t have to. Not when he could get Thor to look at him like that without having to risk his own safety.

“Are you just going to stand there?” Loki asked, and stretched his arms over his head, keeping his eyes on Thor as he squirmed a bit against the soft sheets. “I hope you’re not expecting some kind of show, because that’s going to cost you.” It was only fair. He had to pay to watch Thor. If Thor wanted to watch him, he would have to pay as well.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Thor said, but he still didn’t move closer. He just stood there, watching him. Loki wasn’t particularly patient at the moment, which was why he moved his hands down to his shirt, still keeping his eyes on Thor as he began to unbutton it, figuring that he might as well get started. In a flash, Thor was on the bed with him, and Loki pressed his lips together as he got on all fours above him.

“Allow me,” he said, and gently pushed Loki’s hands away so that he could take over. Thor was frustratingly slow, and Loki wondered if that was his way of teasing him, or if his fingers just happened to be too big and was causing him to fumble with something that should have been a simple enough task. Loki turned his eyes from Thor’s face to his hands, and then back again, realizing that there was something far more intimate about this than what they had just done against the wall. After a moment, it became apparent that Thor was taking his time on purpose, and that was not at all what Loki had expected him to do. He had expected to be ravished. He had expected Thor to hold him down and tear his clothes off so that he could fuck him as quickly as possible.

“Just get the fucking shirt off!” he snapped, and Thor raised his eyebrows as their eyes met.

“I didn’t realize we were in a hurry?” he said, but did as he’d been told anyway, dragging Loki up a little bit so that he could pull the shirt off and toss it aside. “But if that’s what you want, that’s what you’ll get.” Now, Thor wasted no time before moving his hands back to his zipper, and Loki held his breath as he pulled it down. This time, he wasn’t hard. He wasn’t even close to it just yet, but it was impossible not to be affected by the way Thor looked at him as he got rid of his shoes, socks, and pants.

“So far I definitely like what I see,” Thor said, and smiled as he looked down at Loki, gently brushing his fingers against his thigh. Loki could feel goosebumps following his warm touch, and he swallowed before he opened his mouth to speak.

“I swear, if you don’t get on with it, I’m going to-” But he didn’t even get to finish the sentence before Thor had put a firm hand on his stomach. Assuming that this meant he was supposed to stay down, Loki let out a frustrated sigh and remained still on the bed. “You really think a hand is going to keep me down?”

“For now.” Thor shrugged, and used his other hand to remove Loki’s boxers. Loki didn’t protest. He simply kept his eyes on Thor’s face, wanting to study his reaction this time. And it did not disappoint. Thor’s gaze travelled from his face down to his chest, to his legs, and then finally stopping at his dick. . He looked hungry. Starved, even, and Loki figured that was a good sign.

“Fuck, Loki,” Thor cursed, and shook his head. His eyes seemed darker than they had a moment ago as he looked at him again.  “You look gorgeous. I can’t believe this is what I’ve been missing out on.”

“There’s really no need for flattery,” Loki pointed out, keeping his arms by his sides even though there was a part of him that wanted to cover himself. Thor’s gaze was almost too intense, and it was suddenly all too clear to him that he was the only naked one in the room, something he thought was incredibly unfair. “You’ve already got me naked in bed with you.”

Thor blinked and watched him for a long moment before he slowly parted his lips. “You think that’s the only reason I would compliment you?” He shook his head again, and for a second Loki was sure he was about to get some kind of grand speech about how much he liked him and that he was going to keep complimenting him until he realized how gorgeous he was, but that’s not what happened. “Come on, Loki. You know you like it. You pretend that you don’t, but I think we both know better than that.” He moved his hand from Loki’s stomach to carefully cup his chin, and Loki clenched his teeth together as he was forced to look into his eyes.

“You like it when I compliment you, because you like knowing that out of all the fans I have, out of all the… potential partners I have, I chose you. You’re the one I want. No one else. And you like hearing that just as much as I like saying it. Admit it.”

Now he was demanding him to say it out loud? Hell no. This was definitely not what Loki had wanted to happen. He had been expecting some sex. And then possibly a little bit of talking. And then more sex. This was not what he had signed up for, damnit. He wasn’t going to let Thor play with him like this, not when he was the one who was supposed to be pulling the strings.

Quickly shoving Thor’s arm aside, Loki pushed himself up and slung his arms around Thor’s neck, practically crawling into his lap as he pressed their lips together in a heated kiss. He’d needed some way to shut him up, and it seemed like this was the most efficient one. Luckily, Thor didn’t try to push him away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around his waist to pull him even closer, and Loki held back a whine as his naked cock was dragged against the fabric of Thor’s jeans. Before he knew it, he was on his back once more, and Thor pulled back from the kiss to remove his own shirt. At last. Loki’s eyes widened considerably as Thor was finally shirtless, but didn’t have time to take it all in before Thor’s lips were back on his. He moaned into the kiss and moved his hands down Thor’s body, shuddering as he felt every bump of his six pack. He was impossibly firm, and Loki couldn’t wait for a moment to worship every part of his chest.

Eventually, he reached his crotch, and he was just about to do something about that zipper when Thor wrapped his hand around his wrist and stopped him. More frustrated than ever, Loki opened his eyes to glare up at him.

“What now?” he asked, and Thor smiled at him.

“Calm down, Loki,” he said, and sat back a bit so that he could remove his own pants. Once he was finally wearing nothing more than his boxers, Loki licked his lips and allowed Thor to kiss him again, digging his nails into his shoulders when he rolled their hips together. He could feel Thor’s cock through the fabric of his underwear, and he was now more determined than ever to finally get to see him naked. Thor had been teasing him for so long now. It was time, damnit.

“Please…” He clenched his eyes shut as Thor continued to move their hips together. He could already feel himself growing harder, and even though there was a layer of fabric separating them he could tell that Thor was in a similar situation. “Please tell me you’ve got some lube here.”

Thor stopped moving, and both of them opened their eyes. “You didn’t bring any?” he asked, and Loki could feel his heart sink. He had assume that Thor would be the one to get the necessary equipment since they would be doing it in his fucking hotel room. Clearly, wrestlers were not to be trusted with these things.

“No. I didn’t.”

And he wasn’t sure if he would be willing to do this with nothing but spit to ease the way. If Thor was as big as he thought he was, he wanted lube. At least this first time. He was all for a bit of pain, but he didn’t want to be uncomfortable.

Thor let out a heavy sigh. It seemed like the moment was ruined. He pulled away from him, and at first it looked like he was reaching for his pants, but then he leaned closer to the bedside table. “It’s a good thing I did,” he said, and pulled out a small bottle of lube and a condom.

“Bastard,” Loki muttered, and tried to get even by slapping Thor’s chest, but it didn’t look like he even felt it.

“I couldn’t help it,” Thor grinned, and leaned back down again, capturing Loki’s lips in another kiss.

As nice as the kissing was, Loki was quickly getting eager for more. He had been waiting for this for so long now, and he just wanted to get to it.

“Just get to it,” he murmured against Thor’s lips, and brushed his hands against his arms. This time, Thor was nice enough to actually listen to him, and he gave him one more quick kiss before he sat back once more. Loki watched as he reached for the lube, and he slowly spread his legs a bit more to make room for him. He let out a quiet gasp when he felt Thor’s fingers brushing against his opening, and he held his breath as he felt him slide the first one inside. Thor’s fingers were a little bigger than his own, but he welcomed the stretch, even moving his hips in an attempt to make him go faster.

He reached down and wrapped a hand around his cock,giving himself a couple of lazy strokes as Thor worked him open. The second finger caused a slight burn, and the third one made him hiss through gritted teeth, but he quickly assured Thor that it was okay and to keep going. It felt good. Even with the slight pain, it still felt good. It felt amazing, in fact. Thor’s pupils were blown wide as he watched his own fingers sliding into him, and Loki kept looking at him as he touched himself. At first, he waited patiently for Thor to decide that he was ready, but once again it seemed like he had nothing against taking his time, and Loki’s lips were pressed tighter and tighter together as the seconds passed.

“Come on,” he groaned. “Get those fingers out of me. I’m ready.”

“I just want to make sure,” Thor informed him. Even though he had his head bent down, Loki could still tell that he was smiling. He was teasing him. Great. Loki quickly raised one of his legs and aimed his foot at his chest, and Thor jerked back, but still managed to keep his fingers inside of him.

“Hey,” Thor said, somehow managing to scold him even though he was in the middle of fingering him. “This isn’t a wrestling ring, you know. No kicks allowed.”

“If you would just hurry up and fuck me, I wouldn’t need to kick you,” Loki pointed out, and Thor nodded his head. Finally, he pulled his damn fingers back out again, and Loki felt surprisingly empty. He squirmed a little bit, but stilled as soon as he realized that Thor was finally getting rid of his own boxers. With all that buildup, Loki was partly wondering if he would end up feeling disappointed, but he quickly tossed that thought out the window as soon as Thor’s cock finally came into view. He had no reason to be disappointed. It looked big. Probably about… No, he couldn’t even guess. Nine inches? Maybe. It was difficult to tell when he wasn’t fully erect. Still, it was thick, and uncut, and Loki was nearly salivating at the sight of it.

“You’re not disappointed, are you?” Thor asked, though he didn’t sound the least bit worried. He had no reason to be. Loki quickly realized that he was gaping, and shut his mouth again, forcing himself not to lick his lips as he met Thor’s eyes.

“Not as long as you get that thing in me,” he said, and wrapped his legs around Thor’s lower back in an attempt to pull him closer.

“Patience, Loki,” Thor said, and reached back to remove his legs with an annoying ease. “Let me get the condom first.”

Loki let out a disappointed whine as Thor pulled away from him. He was tempted to tell him to leave it, but decided he didn’t want to have that talk right now. They could discuss previous sexual partners and potential diseases some other time. For now, he was going to let Thor put that condom on, even though it was a shame to cover up that dick in any way.  

Once again, Thor took his time. He stroked himself for a long moment before he finally got the condom on, and Loki aimed another kick at his chest.

“Tease.”

Thor let out a chuckle, and moved closer to him. He grabbed his hip with one hand, while wrapping the other one around his cock as he positioned himself. Loki shuddered when he felt the tip of it nudge his opening, and bit down on his bottom lip when Thor began to push inside. There was a short, tense moment, but as soon as he managed to get the head inside, Loki relaxed. As much as he could relax while being stretched open by a nine inch cock, anyway. His fingers had been nothing compared to this. Thor was bigger than he was used to, and there was definitely a bit of pain involved, but Loki quickly realized that he didn’t care. He liked it. As Thor worked himself inside with small thrusts, Loki felt more full than he ever had in his life. Luckily, Thor was nice enough to give him a moment to adjust to his size, and Loki moved his legs back around his waist, breathing deeply as he waited for the pain to subside. As he waited, he looked into Thor’s eyes, and the two of them shared a smile.

“This is even better than I thought it would be,” Thor murmured, and brushed his fingers against his cheek.

“We haven’t even gotten started yet,” Loki pointed out, and rolled his eyes because as tough as Thor came across in the ring, he was clearly just a big softie. He wrapped his arms around his neck, forcing him to lean down a little closer. “Now fuck me. Make sure the wait was worth it.”

Thor nodded and pulled his hand away from his cheek. Once he had his hips in a firm grip, he slid almost all the way back out again, and Loki had no time to prepare himself before he pushed back in. He let out a breathless moan, and scrambled to hold on to Thor’s shoulders as he began to move. He wasted no time building up to a quick pace, and Loki would have sighed happily had he not been so busy trying to realize what was happening.

Thor was fucking him. At last, after months and months, Thor was finally fucking him. And it was even better than he had thought it would be. It was better than anything Amora could have thought up. Thor was everywhere at once, claiming him with each forceful thrust. And Loki let him. He let Thor have him, hoping that perhaps he was able to claim some part of him as well in the process. If the look in his eyes was anything to go by, Thor seemed just as amazed by this moment as he was, and Loki felt a sudden thrill warming up his insides, setting them on fire and making him feel impossibly powerful.

And now, finally, Loki began to see the wrestler in him. The strength, the speed, and the force. Thor was not holding himself back. He was pounding into him, his grip on his waist tight enough for Loki to already feel the bruises forming under his fingers. He did his best to meet Thor’s thrusts, but it wasn’t easy when he was being held down like this. Thor had him pinned to the mattress, and there wasn’t much he could have done to escape it. Not that he wanted to.

Loki’s mouth fell open in a silent gasp when Thor’s cock brushed against his prostate. He was sure it would have felt even better without the condom separating the two of them, but if this was all he could have, he would happily take it. Thor was grunting above him, and Loki recognized the sounds he was making from all that time he had spent watching him in the ring, and he quickly realized he might never be able to watch another match without getting an erection.

“Fuck, Loki,” Thor said again. “You feel so good. It was worth the wait. It was definitely worth the wait.”

Loki nodded his head in agreement when his words failed him, and he let out a loud moan when Thor brushed against that sweet spot again.

“Yes. Yes, it’s… So big,” he managed to get out. “So good. I- ah. Harder, Thor. Give it to me. Give it all to me.”

Thor didn’t even question him. Instead, he did exactly what he had asked for, and Loki yelped as he leaned forward, drawing his knees to his chest and practically bending him in half as he continued to fuck into him. Loki rocked into it, closing his eyes when Thor’s powerful gaze became too much for him. Suddenly he felt Thor’s lips against his own again, and Loki made a breathy noise into his mouth, encouraging him to keep going as he weaved his fingers into Thor’s hair, wishing he would pull it out of that bun. The kiss didn’t last long. Loki had to pull back to get some much needed air into his lungs, and he let his hot breath ghost against Thor’s lips.

“Touch me,” he breathed. “I want you to touch me.” His cock was leaking pre-come against his stomach, and he knew that if he just got some more friction, it wouldn’t take him long to come.

Unfortunately, all he got from Thor was a breathy chuckle.

“Did you really think it was going to be that easy?” he whispered into his ear, and Loki let out another long whine. Bastard. Oh, he was going to get back at him for this. Sooner or later, he would have his revenge. But it would have to wait. At the moment, he was simply trying to get some kind of friction, trying to rub his cock against Thor’s stomach, but Thor leaned back again, and Loki was left with no way to touch himself. Except that he could simply remove his arms from around Thor’s neck, which was exactly what he did. He didn’t have time to get his hands anywhere near his cock, though, before Thor had managed to grab both his wrists and pinned them to the bed. Damn.

“You are evil,” Loki muttered, trying not to show how much he was enjoying being held down like this. He had no way to move, no way to touch himself. Thor could do whatever he wanted to him, but that wasn’t the best part. The best part was that he was playing right into his hands. He was doing everything he had wanted him to do. By trying to get the upper hand, Thor was actually allowing Loki to take control. In his own special way, of course.

“Come on, Loki,” Thor encouraged him. “I know you can do it. I want you to come for me.”

He was close. He was really, really close. If only he had been able to touch himself. All he needed was just a little bit of friction, but Thor wasn’t allowing him any. Loki knew he could come untouched. It had happened once or twice before, but it was frustrating and he didn’t like having to wait.

“I hate you,” he hissed, but Thor didn’t even flinch. He simply kept fucking him, moving their hips together at a quick pace which had Loki moaning loudly, not caring if anyone else would be able to hear them. They weren’t alone in this hotel, but he wasn’t going to hold himself back. Thor clearly didn’t want him to, or he would have shut him up a long time ago.

“Come on, Loki,” Thor said again, and pulled him up a bit, angling his hips and pushing himself even deeper into him. His cock was constantly brushing against all the right places, and Loki almost wanted to cry because of it. His legs were trembling around Thor’s waist, and his breath was coming in short puffs. His blunt nails raked across Thor’s chest and shoulders as he tried to ignore his own frustration, but it was impossible. He needed to come. His cock was achingly hard against his stomach, and he rolled his hips as he kept trying to rub himself against Thor.

“Please,” he sobbed. He was right on the edge, his whole body trembling as he repeated that same word over and over, desperate for release. Finally, after what felt like forever, he was pushed over the edge. With a final perfectly aimed thrust from Thor, Loki came. He moaned loudly as he did, throwing his head back and arching into the touch as he felt his own come coating his stomach. Thor fucked him through it, and Loki was barely aware of him pulling out, only glancing over at him a couple of seconds later when he realized something didn’t feel right. Thor had removed the condom and was now jerking himself off, his hand a blur against his own cock. Loki felt drained and boneless, and couldn’t muster much more than another weak moan as Thor groaned, deep and low in his chest, adding his come to his already sticky mess on his stomach.

Loki felt fucked out, and like he had just been marked, and he loved it. The next step would be to make Thor come inside of him, but they had plenty of time for that. They were only just getting started, after all. They still had a whole day left together, and he was going to make sure they took advantage of every minute they had.

Once he was beginning to calm down a bit, he blinked, and looked up at Thor, who was also breathing heavily, a sheen of sweat covering his bronzed body. His chest was rising and falling, and Loki studied the way his muscles moved for a long moment before he met his eyes.

“So,” he began, and licked his lips. “When can we do that again?”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, would you look at that. First it takes me several weeks to update, and now it took me three days to finish this chapter. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

Loki was quickly beginning to realize two things. One: he had made the right decision in coming to Miami. Two: he was going to be incredibly sore on his way back to New York.

They had sex two more times in the next couple of hours. First he was on his back again, but this time Thor actually allowed him to touch himself. Then he decided that he simply had to get a taste of Thor, which was why he pushed him onto his back and somewhat impatiently worked on getting most of his cock into his mouth. He took great pleasure in the guttural sounds that came from Thor as he swallowed around him, and when he finally came Loki made sure not to let a single drop go to waste.

After that, there was a bit of a break. Loki took a shower even though he knew he was going to end up looking like a mess again in no time. Thor ordered room service, and the two of them were busy making out on the bed when there was a knock on the door. Thor threw on a pair of sweatpants before he left the bed, and Loki lazily pulled at the covers to hide only the most necessary parts of himself. The young man who pushed the cart into their room seemed noticeably flustered as his eyes fell on the bed, and Loki simply smirked at him in return, squirming a bit so that more of his naked body came into view.

Thor also seemed to notice the way Loki was being stared at, and as soon as he had tipped the guy and practically slammed the door in his face, he was back on the bed. Loki could barely stop himself from smiling as Thor proceeded to fuck him again, making him have such an intense orgasm he actually shouted his name as he came. When they were finished, the food had gone cold, but Thor ate most of it anyway. Loki shook his head at him, but was too fucked out to tease him about it. .

Two hours later, Thor ordered more food, and this time they sat up on the bed as they ate, both of them needing some more energy before they could continue. Thor asked him about work, and Loki shrugged and let him know that there wasn’t much to tell. He was still working hard, he still disliked most of his colleagues, but at least the pay was good.

“Have you ever thought about doing something else?” Thor asked, and Loki shrugged his shoulders as he took a sip of his water.

“Why should I? I’m doing something I’m good at, and something I enjoy. Most of the time.”

“Really?” Thor raised his eyebrows. “Because it doesn’t sound like it.”

“There’s a difference between disliking what I do and disliking my job,” Loki pointed out, and turned back to his fries as Thor seemed to be thinking that over. “Do you disagree?” he asked, and dipped two of the fries in some ketchup. .

“No,” Thor said, and shook his head. “No, I get it. We have some people on the roster right now who… We all love wrestling, or we wouldn’t be in this business, but they’re not happy with their current position. Not everyone is as lucky as I am.”

Loki snorted, and reached for one of the napkins so that he could wipe his fingers on it. “How lucky can you possibly be? You lose almost every pay per view match you participate in.”

“But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m luckier than a lot of those guys. I’ve had the Intercontinental Championship. I get to participate in those matches. Sure, I’ve lost a couple of them, but only the really important ones. There are some guys who barely get to be on TV, and even when they are they’re only there to lose and make someone else look strong. Trust me, Loki. I may not be as high up as Cap, but I’m up there. And I’m still climbing. You can’t do it too quickly, or there’s a chance the fans might turn on you. You have to be ready.”

“Aren’t you?” Loki asked, and turned his eyes back to Thor again, who let out a sigh as he put his plate down.

“I feel like I am, yes. And I think they know it. But they can’t just hand me the championship. There has to be a good storyline.” Thor leaned closer, and patted his thigh. “Don’t worry. I’ll get there eventually.”

Loki couldn’t decide if Thor’s carefree attitude was incredibly refreshing or incredibly frustrating. No, actually he could decide. It was frustrating. Why did it seem like he cared more about Thor’s career than he did? Was it because Thor knew something he didn’t? Did he already know what was going to happen? Or was he simply used to the business and knew that sometimes you just had to wait for your opportunity to come along? Well, fuck that. Loki wanted him to win now. He didn’t want to wait years just to finally be able to witness Thor as the most important person in the WWE. He was a suitable champion, wasn’t he? As far as Loki was concerned, no one would look better with a belt around his waist than Thor.

They had sex one more time that night, but this time they simply proceeded to rub their bodies together until they both came, like a couple of horny teenagers. Thor insisted on staying close to him as the two of them drifted off to sleep, and Loki tried to push him away a couple of times because Thor was just way too hot. Literally. It felt like sleeping next to a furnace. But the big oaf wouldn’t budge, and Loki had to ignore how hot he was as he tried to get some rest.

When morning came, though, he woke up feeling surprisingly cold, and he opened his eyes, quickly realizing that the other side of the bed was empty. He frowned, and turned his head, noticing Thor by the foot of the bed. He was dressed, and looked to be putting his shoes on.

“Where are you going?” Loki asked sleepily, his eyelids drooping as he fought to stay awake.

“To the gym,” Thor informed him, and Loki groaned, shaking his head as he reached out for Thor.

“Come back to bed,” he said, and Thor chuckled as he stepped closer to him.

“Loki, I have to go.”

“You can skip one day, can’t you?” Loki waved at Thor to come closer, and patted the empty space next to him on the bed. “If you wait a couple of hours, we can do some exercising of our own. Now get back to bed.” He hoped Thor would listen to him. He was too tired to argue, and if Thor insisted he would probably just let him go. He definitely wouldn’t be able to force himself out of bed to stop him from leaving. Luckily, Thor let out a sigh and got back down on the bed with him, and Loki immediately snuggled closer, burying his head in Thor’s chest.

“So this is what I have to do to make you want to cuddle?” Thor asked. “Just wake you up at five in the morning?”

“It’s five in the morning?” Loki groaned, and moved his hand until he found Thor’s arm, making sure that he had it wrapped around himself before he tried to relax. “Just go back to sleep.”

And they did.

When Loki woke up again, he was feeling a lot more well rested, and he slowly opened his eyes to find Thor looking back at him. Those blue eyes felt even more intense when they were the first things he saw, and he had to close his own eyes again, only opening them when he was sure Thor would have turned away. But he was still watching him. Loki frowned, and gave him an annoyed look.

“What?” he asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“So let me get this straight,” Thor began, and smiled way too brightly for someone who’d just woken up. “When you wake up early, you’re more than willing to curl up against me like… some kind of cat, but when you’ve gotten enough sleep, you’re easily annoyed?”

Loki gave him a long look. “I’d be less annoyed if you weren’t staring at me. I need a nicer way of waking up. Why don’t you try doing it with a blowjob next time?”

Thor raised a brow. “Is that what I need to get you to smile at me?” He nodded his head, and pushed himself up. “Fair enough.” He moved further down the bed, and Loki immediately gave him a curious look. Was he actually going to do it? But just as Thor was about to reach out and pull the covers away, he changed his mind and moved out of the bed. What a tease. Loki pressed his lips together and watched as Thor pulled on his grey sweatpants.

“Breakfast should be here in about fifteen minutes. We might not have time for a blowjob,” he said, and Loki huffed.

“If you can’t make me come in that amount of time, you’re officially a failure.”

Thor tilted his head to the side, and considered him for a moment before he sat down on the bed. “There’s something else we could try,” he said. “Get on your stomach. I’m thinking about having a cheat meal.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “You are ridiculous,” he said, but complied anyway, tossing the covers aside as he turned around and put himself on his stomach, letting his arms rest on top of a pillow. “You better make this good.”

“Oh, I will,” Thor assured him, and Loki somehow managed not to moan as he felt his big hands on his ass. He pushed back against the touch, ignoring Thor’s fond chuckling as he rested his chin on his arms. His cheeks were kneaded for a moment before they were parted, and Loki let out an embarrassing whine when Thor teased him by blowing hot air against his hole. Seconds later he felt Thor’s tongue in that same spot. He squirmed a bit and closed his eyes, wanting to focus on nothing but what was happening. Thor licked in soft strokes at first, clearly doing everything he could to tease him. And it was working. Loki dug his fingers into the pillow, fighting against everything he had not to make too many noises. Thor had already brought out the worst in him. He didn’t need all of this to go to his head. If Thor got too cocky, he just knew he would get teased about all of this the next time they talked on the phone.

For now, Thor circled his hole with the tip of his tongue, seemingly trying to make as big of a mess as possible as he licked long stripes from his balls back to his opening. Loki rubbed his now erect cock against the mattress, grateful that Thor allowed him that kind of friction since he wasn’t sure what he would have done without it.Thor’s tongue felt amazing, and Loki spent a couple of seconds wondering how many times he had practiced this kind of thing before he forced himself to move on. There was no reason for him to think about Thor’s previous sexual partners. He was sure there had been plenty, but none of them mattered right now because Thor only wanted him, and Loki was going to do everything in his power to make sure things stayed that way.

Thor pulled him out of his thoughts when he began to lick him open, thrusting the tip of his tongue as far as it could go, and Loki arched his back, a loud moan slipping from his lips.

“Oh, yes,” he gasped. “Right there. Fuck, Thor. Right there. Keep doing that.” Loki rocked into it, rolling his hips forward get some friction on his cock and then pushing back up to get more of Thor’s mouth on him. Thor encouraged him by using his hands on his ass to help him move, and Loki kept going, desperate for what would be his first orgasm of the day. Since they were only just getting started, he had a feeling it would be followed by many more.

He could feel Thor humming as he kept licking his way inside of him, and he tensed up, clenching his eyes shut as he moved his hips down one last time before making an even bigger mess of the already messy sheets. He collapsed as soon as Thor let go of him, leaning his forehead against the pillow and taking a couple of deep breaths. He could hear Thor sitting up, and then he felt a pair of lips on his shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Thor asked, and Loki somehow found the strength to raise his head enough to nod, which was the only answer he was going to be able to give at the moment. He wasn’t sure how Thor was doing this to him so easily, but these were without a doubt some of the best orgams he’d ever had. The only thing that even came close were the orgasms he’d had while thinking about Thor. But he was never going to tell him that.

There was a knock on the door again, and Loki turned his head to the side, glancing back at Thor as he left the bed. It was the same young man as before, and he had his eyes turned down as he entered the room, probably trying his best to be respectful. Loki didn’t make it easy for him, though. He turned around, ignoring his own come as he gave him a lazy smile. He immediately blushed, his ears turning red as he left the cart and hurried out of the room, forgetting to wait for a tip as he closed the door behind himself. Thor crossed his arms over his chest and watched the door for a moment before he turned his eyes to Loki.

“That poor boy,” he said, and grabbed his plate. “You need to stop teasing him. Unless you plan on inviting him into bed with us.”

“Would you be willing to share?” Loki asked, raising a brow as he sat up.

“Would you?” Thor countered, and the two of them shared a look. The answer didn’t even need to be said out loud. They both knew they would never have been able to tolerate anyone else joining them. While Loki would have loved to try to rile Thor up and make him fuck him harder than he had ever been fucked before, he knew he wouldn’t be able to watch Thor with that boy. He would have seethed at the sight of the two of them together. In fact, the thought of it was almost enough to make smoke come out of his ears. He didn’t want to think about Thor with anyone else, let alone see it. Thor was not the only one who could get a bit possessive. There was a big chance he would end up stabbing a potential third partner. Anything to make sure they wouldn’t get their hands on him.

“So what do you want to do today?” Thor asked as Loki focused on his waffles. “Do you have something else you want to see, or would you rather just stay here all day?”

Loki kept his eyes on his waffles as he pretended to think about, even though he already knew the answer. He wanted to stay in bed. He wasn’t here for anything else. He wasn’t here so that the two of them could go on a date, after all. He was here because his own hand around his cock just hadn’t been enough anymore.

“Let’s stay here,” he said, and turned his eyes up when he heard Thor chuckling.

“Are you sure there’s nothing else you would rather do?”

“Why?” Loki picked up one of the strawberries he’d gotten with his Belgian waffles, and raised a brow as he took a bite of it, making sure to lick his lips as slowly as possible. “Is there somewhere else you would rather be?”

Thor was too busy staring at his lips to answer, and Loki forced himself not to smile triumphantly. Oh, yes. He had him exactly where he wanted him. No doubt about it.

An hour later, they were once again breathing heavily as they lay side by side, both of them covered in sweat as they stared up at the ceiling.

“You were right,” Thor mumbled. “Who needs the gym when I can just do this every morning?”

“You can’t do this every morning,” Loki pointed out. “I’m going back to New York tomorrow.” Unless Thor wanted to do this with someone else, but Loki was confident enough to know that he wouldn’t want anyone else after everything they had done together. Loki certainly wasn’t looking for anyone else. Thor had officially ruined him. And he was okay with it. Perhaps it should have bothered him that he felt so connected to someone he was only going to be able to see every now and then, but he was oddly at peace with it. For now. He was sure it was going to be harder to deal with it once he was back in his empty flat.

“Do you have to go?” Thor asked, and propped himself up on an elbow, an expectant look on his face as he gazed down at him with those impossibly blue eyes.

“Yes,” Loki sighed, refusing to meet those blue eyes. “Yes, I have to go.”

“Can’t you just stay one more day? Or until Monday? You’ll get to watch me in action again. I’ll even make sure to win my match for you.”

Loki actually smiled at that, and he shook his head as he finally met Thor’s eyes. “No,” he said firmly. “I can’t stay.” Not even for Thor. As amazing as the sex was, he needed to get back to New York. He needed to see Amora again, after all, so that he could tell her all about what the two of them had been up to. He wouldn’t give her too many details, but he would tell her just enough to make sure she would be green with envy. She may have had a fiance, but nothing could compare to Thor. Even she had to know that.

“I wish I could convince you,” Thor said, and reached down to brush his hand against his cheek, tracing his cheekbone with his fingertips. “There has to be something…” Thor quickly trailed off when he was interrupted by the sound of someone moaning very loudly. Loki frowned in confusion, and looked at Thor, whose eyes had widened considerably.

‘I think I’m cute. I know I’m sexy.’

Wait. Someone was singing. What the…

‘I got the looks. That drives the girls wild.’

Okay, it was obviously a ringtone. And what the hell kind of ringtone was this? It sounded like the most self-centered thing he had ever heard.

‘I got the moves. That really move them. I send chills. Up and down their spine.’

Finally, Thor seemed to snap out of it, and he scrambled to get up from the bed and look for his phone. Loki stayed in place, his frown deepening as the song continued.

‘I’m just a sexy boy. I’m not your boy toy.’

Loki honestly wasn’t sure whether to laugh or not. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and watched as Thor searched through the clothes that were spread out all over the floor. It was comical, really, to watch him run about naked, clearly trying to find his phone as quickly as possible so that he would be able to put a stop to the song that was still going.

‘I make them hot. I make them shiver. Their knees get weak. Whenever I’m around. They see me walk. They hear me talk. I make them feel. Like they’re on cloud nine.’

At last, Thor pulled his phone out of his jacket, and he turned away from Loki as he answered it.

“Yeah? Hey. Yeah, I know. No, I told you I wasn’t going to make it.” He threw a glance over at Loki, who tilted his head to the side and gave him a curious look.

“Look, I’d love to, but I’m busy. Maybe tomorrow? Okay, good. Yeah, see you.” He hung up, and Loki leaned forward, leaning his arms on his knees as he waited for Thor to explain himself.

“It was just Steve,” Thor told him. “He was wondering why I wasn’t at the gym this morning. I told him he was going to have to go on his own.”

“What a shame,” Loki said sarcastically, and leaned forward. “Now… about that song.”

Thor made a face, and Loki could have sworn he was blushing as he turned away from him again, putting his phone down on the bedside table. “Look, it’s… It’s just an old wrestler’s theme, okay? He was one of my favorites.”

“And he was just a sexy boy?” Loki asked, doing his best not to laugh. “But not a boy toy?”

Thor threw him a dirty look. “Shut up.”

“It’s funny, I almost thought that song was about you.” Loki smirked, and brushed his fingers against the sheets. “Now why don’t you come over here and show me how good you are at making me feel like I’m on cloud nine?”

“Again?” Thor asked, and raised his eyebrows, giving him a surprised look. “Are you even going to be able to make it back to New York after this? You’ll be completely drained.”

“I’ll have some water,” Loki said firmly, and shrugged his shoulders before he grabbed Thor’s arm and pulled him down.

“You’re a bad influence on me,” Thor told him a couple of hours later when he was shoving piece after piece of a steak into his mouth. “I haven’t been to the gym, and I haven’t eaten as much as I should. They’re probably going to fire me on Monday, and then what am I supposed to do?” He smiled. “I guess I could sell the house and sleep on your couch for a while.”

“Let’s not,” Loki said, and looked up from his phone. He was busy responding to his emails, preferring to let Thor eat on his own. He couldn’t believe he thought he hadn’t been eating enough. As far as Loki was concerned, he had barely done much else. It felt like he’d been chewing on something almost the entire time he’d been here. When they hadn’t been having sex, that is.

He was barely aware of Thor finishing his meal, and didn’t look away from his phone until he felt a warm hand on the inside of his thigh. “What are you doing?” he asked, and turned his eyes from the hand to Thor’s face.

“Seducing you?” Thor grinned, and Loki rolled his eyes at him.

“Just give me five more minutes,” he said, and Thor actually removed his hand from his thigh, but just a couple of seconds later Loki felt his lips against his chest. This time, he didn’t even look. He simply kept his eyes on his phone, narrowing them as he attempted to concentrate on the words sent to him by his boss. It was difficult, though, especially when Thor took one of his nipples into his mouth and sucked. Loki let out a muffled groan, but still managed to keep his eyes on his phone. His fingers trembled slightly, though, as he tried to respond to the email. The words on the phone seemed blurry, but he was too stubborn to look away, even as he felt Thor kissing his way down his stomach. Thor easily spread his legs, and Loki closed his eyes in anticipation. He almost dropped his phone when it started buzzing in his hands, and his chest tightened considerably as he realized someone from the office was calling him. He shot Thor a look to warn him before he pressed the button to answer, trying not to look at Thor as he brought the phone to his ear.

Of course, Thor completely ignored his warning, and no more than a minute into the conversation, Loki felt his fingertips against his dick. He immediately looked down, and Thor grinned up at him, putting a finger against his lips before wrapping his hand around him. Loki seriously thought about kicking him. He struggled to keep track of the conversation, zoning out several times as Thor stroked him into full hardness. He had to ask his colleague to repeat himself more than once, and Thor’s grin grew wider and wider each time. Loki muttered quiet curse words under his breath, quickly deciding that he was going to get his revenge. He didn’t know when, or how, but he was most certainly going to make sure to embarrass Thor in front of the people he worked with. Somehow.

“Ask Leah. I think she would be the most fit for the job, and if they don’t like it, then…” He paused when he felt Thor’s hot mouth around the head of his cock, and he bit down on his bottom lip, looking down a second later. Of course, he immediately regretted it, because the sight of Thor with his lips around his cock was almost more arousing than being able to feel it.

“Fuck,” he muttered, and turned his eyes up to the ceiling. At once, his co-worker asked him what he’d just said, and Loki shook his head, throwing his arm over his eyes as if that would be able to block out what Thor was doing to him. “Sorry, I’m… I was a bit distracted. Please, continue.” Thor pulled back again, and for half a second Loki thought he was going to show him mercy, but then he wrapped his hand around him again, and he forced himself to hold back a pitiful whine as Thor proceeded to jerk him off. Bastard.

Luckily, his co-worker was doing most of the talking, and he could get away with humming in agreement every couple of seconds. As he felt himself nearing his orgasm, he clenched his free hand into a fist and hit it several times against the mattress.

“Yes,” he breathed. “Yes, I will see to it. As soon as I get back, I will take a look at it, and I will have the… I will have an answer by Tuesday. Yes, thank you.” He hung up and tossed the phone aside, letting out a strangled sound as he threw his head back. “Damn you,” he muttered. “Damn you, you fucking…” His breath hitched in his throat as Thor licked a stripe up the side of his cock, and he came with another strangled cry, his thighs trembling as he emptied himself on Thor’s hand.

He lay there in silence for a moment, staring up at the ceiling, before he slowly turned to look at Thor, who seemed awfully proud of himself as he sat back on his heels.

“Was that really necessary?” he asked, and Thor smiled widely in return.

“I’m sorry. Should I have stopped?”

“You didn’t have to do it when I was in the middle of a conversation,” Loki pointed out, but the kick he aimed at Thor’s face was halfhearted at best, and Thor easily caught his foot between his hands. Loki let out a sigh and watched as Thor kissed his way up his leg, shaking his head at him before Thor moved up his body and pressed their lips together.

“How can I make it up to you?” he asked, and Loki considered it for a moment, brushing his fingers through Thor’s long hair as he did.

“Let me rest for a little while,” he said. “And then I’m sure we’ll be able to think of something.”

Thor did make it up to him. He made it up to him by bringing him to an orgasm that had him moaning so loudly Thor had to put a hand over his mouth to shut him up. Luckily for him, Loki didn’t have it in him to fight back. He simply lay there for a long time, allowing Thor to take care of him by bringing him a glass of water and wiping the come off his stomach. He was almost surprised at the amount of attention he was receiving from Thor. Even though that had been his plan all along, he still didn’t quite understand why Thor was spending so much time worshiping him when it should have been the other way around. Thor was the celebrity. He was the wrestling star. Loki should have been on his knees in front of him. And while he had been on his knees, he was also the one who’d had the most amount of orgasms so far. And Thor didn’t seem to mind. Even though Loki had been able to gather from their little talks that Thor wasn’t going to be a selfish lover, he’d still had some trouble believing it because it just seemed so strange. Someone as successful as him could easily have been thinking about nothing but himself, but that clearly wasn’t the case, or else Loki would not have been the one to be gasping for breath while Thor brushed his hair away from his sweaty forehead.

“Why are you doing this?” he found himself asking as Thor put the glass on the bedside table.

“Because you look like you won’t be able to move for the next couple of days?” Thor said, and smiled at him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips before leaving the bed. Loki frowned as he followed him with his eyes, thinking about it for a moment before he decided that he wasn’t going to settle for that kind of answer.

“Very funny,” he huffed. “Just tell me. Why?”

Thor stopped on his way to the bathroom, and slowly turned around to look at him, leaning against the wall as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Why what? You want to know why I’m taking care of you?”

“Yes,” Loki said. “Why are you focusing on me when you could be focusing on yourself?”

Thor raised a brow. “You think I have some kind of ulterior motive?”

Loki shrugged his shoulders, patiently waiting for Thor to give him an answer. He didn’t get one, though. Instead, Thor shook his head as he entered the bathroom, and Loki heard him fumbling around with something in there. But he didn’t say a word. The seconds ticked by, and yet Thor didn’t respond. Loki slowly pushed himself up and walked over to the bathroom, tilting his head to the side as he leaned against the doorframe. When Thor didn’t acknowledge him, he picked up the closest thing he could find, which happened to be a towel, and rolled it up before throwing it at Thor. It ended up hitting his back, and for a moment Loki wondered if he’d even been able to feel it, but then Thor slowly turned around to look at him.

“You still haven’t answered,” he pointed out, and took a step closer. Thor let out a sigh, and put down the small pair of scissors he’d been using to trim his beard.

“You really want to know why?”

Loki nodded his head.

Thor sighed again, and slowly walked over to him, putting his hands on his hips to pull him closer. “I’m focusing on you and not on myself… because I like it. I like focusing on something other than myself for once. Besides, I think you’re worth it. I like you. Maybe that’s not what you want to hear, but there you have it. I like you, Loki. I know we haven’t had a lot of time together, but the time we’ve had… I’ve enjoyed it. A lot.”

Thor looked so genuine, Loki wasn’t sure how to react. He had almost expected him to say something like that, but at the same time he felt completely caught off guard by it. He fidgeted with his hands, looking into Thor’s eyes for a long moment as he tried not to blink.

“Is that okay?” Thor asked, and brushed his thumbs against his hips.

“Yes,” Loki found himself saying. “Yes, it’s… acceptable.”

Thor smiled at that, and leaned in to press their lips together, giving him a soft kiss. “If that’s all I can get, I’ll take it.”

Thor dragged him back to bed after that, and the two of them lay in silence before it was time for Thor to have yet another meal. Loki was actually getting hungry as well, and they called room service again, ordering two steaks. They watched some TV while they ate, and when they were finished Thor got his laptop out of his bag, insisting that he needed to show him some wrestling.

“You need to see these guys,” he said, and logged on to the WWE Network, clicking on the NXT symbol. Loki drank some of his water as he wondered why Thor thought he was willing to look at wrestling when he wasn’t going to be in any of the matches. Did he really think he was that much of a fan?

“These are my friends,” Thor said, and put the laptop down in between them so that they could watch together. “I got to know them when I was down in NXT. They still haven’t moved up to the main roster yet, but I think they’re ready. They’re called The Warriors Three.”

Loki tilted his head to the side as he watched three men entering the ring. They looked impressive, sure, but two of them were definitely smaller than Thor, and the third one looked like a redheaded Santa. Thor pointed at the screen as he explained who they were, and Loki watched as the one named Fandral jumped out of the ring to let the other two wrestle the tag team that came out next. As good as the match actually was, Loki spent a lot of it glancing over at Thor, who looked so proud as he watched them move about in the ring, as if he had been the one to teach them how to do it.

“There’s someone else you need to see,” Thor said as soon as he match was over and his friends had won. He skipped ahead to a later part of the show, and Loki watched as a woman with long, dark hair came out on stage.

“That’s Sif. She’s one of the most amazing women I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.”

Loki frowned at that, and quickly turned his eyes to Thor, who seemed too busy staring at the screen to notice. Why was he staring so much? She wasn’t even that pretty. Was she? Okay, maybe she was, but as far as he was concerned Thor should not have been looking at her when he had Loki right next to him.

“She’s very pretty,” he muttered as he watched her climb into the ring, and drank some more of his water, suddenly wishing it had been something a bit stronger.

That finally made Thor turn to look at him, and he smiled widely as he tilted his head to the side. “Are you jealous?” he asked, and Loki put the glass away so that he wouldn’t throw it in Thor’s face.

“No,” he said, and shrugged his shoulders.

“Yes, you are,” Thor pointed out, and Loki hated that he was right.

“Fuck off,” he muttered, but Thor put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer. Loki tried to fight him off, but Thor was a lot stronger than he was.

“You have no reason to be jealous,” Thor assured him, and tried to give him a kiss, but Loki turned his head away, gritting his teeth together as he wondered whether or not kneeing Thor in the groin would be worth it. He would be able to get away from him, but he was also pretty sure that he wouldn’t be getting any more sex this weekend. It was an admittedly tough choice to make.

“Look, I’m not going to lie to you,” Thor said as he let go of him. “Sif and I went on a couple of dates when I was down in NXT, but that was ages ago. We decided we were better off as friends, and now she’s more like a sister to me.”

The fact that Thor had actually dated this woman was not at all what Loki had wanted to hear. How many dates had they been on? Had they kissed? Had they slept together? Had Thor actually had feelings for her? Had she had feelings for him? What if Thor still had feelings for her?

Thor snapped him out of his thoughts by pushing his laptop away and rolling around so that he was on all fours above him. “Hey,” he said firmly, and locked their eyes together. “You do remember what I said, right? You’re the only one I want.”

“For now,” Loki countered somewhat bitterly, and Thor sighed loudly.

“Loki, I can’t guarantee that we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together.”

“Who said anything about spending the rest of our lives together?” Loki asked, and pushed Thor away so that he could slip out of bed. “We’ve had some fun together, but that doesn’t mean…” He paused, and shook his head. “I’m not looking for anything serious. I wasn’t looking for anything when I ran into you.”

“I’m not saying you did,” Thor pointed out, and sat up on the bed. “I’ve never said this is serious, but you seem to think it should be.” Loki was about to open his mouth and protest, but Thor cut him off before he had a chance to. “You claim you’re just looking to have some fun, but at the same time you get jealous and act like you don’t want me to be with anyone else. So what is this, Loki? Is it casual, or do you actually want us to be exclusive? I haven’t been with anyone else since we ran into each other. If you’d like it to stay that way, you need to let me know.”

As if it was that easy. Loki gave Thor a long look before he turned around and headed into the bathroom, locking the door behind him before he sat down on the toilet seat. He didn’t really need to go, he just needed a moment to think about this. So Thor hadn’t been with anyone else. Well, neither had he. Not for lack of trying, though. He had tried going to a club that one time, but he just hadn’t been able to find anyone who measured up to Thor. And now that the two of them had slept together, it was bound to be even more difficult. How was anyone else supposed to compare to these last couple of hours? But what would this mean? Did he have to start calling himself Thor’s boyfriend? Because he definitely wasn’t ready for that. He wasn’t ready for a relationship, but he was ready for… whatever this was. If they could just keep doing what they’d been doing, he knew he would be okay with it. As long as there were no official titles involved, everything was fine.

Even after making his decision, he stayed in the bathroom for another five minutes before he finally pushed himself up and unlocked the door. Thor was still sitting on the bed, and he looked up as soon as he stopped in front of it.

“Yes,” Loki said quietly. “Yes, I want us to be exclusive. But that’s it. I don’t want anything else. You’re not my boyfriend, and… there’s nothing else going on. We just… don’t have sex with other people.”

Thor gave him a blank look, and for a moment Loki thought for sure he was about to get rejected, and he mentally prepared himself to tear Thor apart, but then he started smiling.

“Okay,” Thor said, and nodded his head. “That works for me. I’m not sure I could handle a relationship right now anyway.” He held his hand out, and Loki stared at it before slowly walking closer and allowing Thor to pull him back down.

They had sex one more time that night before they fell asleep next to each other, Loki slowly but surely getting used to those big arms being wrapped around him. He slept soundly throughout the entire night, and didn’t wake up until he realized that the bed seemed awfully cold again. He opened his eyes and frowned as he noticed that the other side of the bed was empty. Thor wasn’t anywhere else in the room either, and the door to the bathroom was open but there were no sounds coming from in there. Where was he? He pushed himself up and rubbed the back of his hand against his eyes, stretching his arms over his head when he noticed the note Thor had left on his pillow.

‘Gone to the gym. Back in a few hours. Wait for me.’ A small smile played on Loki’s lips as he read it over and over again, letting out a sigh as he put it back down again

A couple of minutes later, he got up and headed into the bathroom to take a nice, long shower. He felt like he desperately needed one. He scrubbed himself clean, smiling to himself again when he realized that the shower gel smelled just like Thor. By the time he stepped out, he had to wipe the mirror with a towel before he could see himself. He was just brushing through his hair when there was a knock on the door, and he turned around, furrowing his brow as he wrapped the white towel around his hips and left the bathroom. He assumed it was the same young man as before, coming to give him his breakfast. Loki was already looking forward to making him blush again, but when he opened the door he quickly realized that the man outside was not the one he had been expecting.

He was standing face to face with Captain America himself. He wasn’t dressed in an American flag, though. Instead, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt that looked to be at least three sizes too small. His eyes widened as the two of them looked at each other, and Loki raised his eyebrows as he waited for him to say something.

“Hi,” Cap… or Steve finally said. “Um. Is… Thor. Is he here?” He looked around, almost as if he expected Thor to walk out of some other room down the hall, and Loki gave him a polite smile.

“No,” he said. “I believe he’s gone to the gym. You should be able to find him there. Unless you’d rather wait inside?” He stepped aside, just to make sure Steve would be able to see the messy bed and the clothes that were still on the floor. “But I doubt Thor would approve. I am not really decent, after all. You’ll have to excuse me, I felt like a shower was necessary, after…” He shrugged, and gave Steve an even bigger smile. “Well. I am sure you can imagine.”

He almost laughed at the look on Steve’s face. He was definitely blushing, and as far as Loki was concerned this was a thousand times better than making that other guy blush.

“Right. No, I… I guess I should go look for him. I just thought… since he didn’t come yesterday, I thought I should make sure he went, you know?”

“Oh, he came plenty of times yesterday,” Loki said before he could stop himself, and smirked. “Don’t you worry about him. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I should go put on some clothes.” And with that, he promptly closed the door before Steve could say another word, leaning against the door as he pressed his lips tightly together to make sure he wouldn’t start laughing. If only he’d had a camera. The look on Steve’s face had been priceless, and he wished he would have been able to show Thor.

When Thor came back, Loki had already packed and gotten dressed. He was back in his black pants, but had decided not to wear the shirt Thor had ruined. Instead, he was wearing a green, somewhat tight t-shirt. He knew there was a chance they would want to have sex one last time before he left, but he didn’t mind the thought of Thor undressing him again. As long as he didn’t ruin this t-shirt, because this one was actually a favorite of his.

Thor stepped into the room wearing a pair of shorts and a tight tank top, and Loki’s brows shot up at once as he decided that they definitely needed to have sex one last time. After all, how was he not supposed to climb that like a tree?

“Hey,” Thor said, and gave him a small smile. Too small. He was avoiding his eyes as well, and Loki’s heart sank. What now?

“I ran into Steve at the gym. He said he’d been here looking for me.”

Loki sat up a little straighter, but didn’t say anything.

“He... “ Thor shook his head, and let out a humorless chuckle as he put down the bag he’d been carrying. “He actually wondered if I’d gotten desperate enough to find myself a hooker. What did you say to him?”

“Excuse me?” Loki’s mouth dropped open as he stared at Thor. “A hooker? Do I look like a fucking hooker to you? To him?”

“He said you were wearing nothing but a towel. And you said some… suggestive things to him.” Thor finally turned around to look at Loki. “Why? Why would you do that?”

“I was just having some fun!” Loki pointed out, raising his voice as he stood up. “I was just teasing him. What’s wrong with that? He can’t even handle a little teasing?”

Thor gave him a long look, and shook his head again as he stepped closer to him. “Look, Loki. You need to understand that… I’m not angry about Steve seeing you. He already knows that I’m bi. But nobody else does. And you need to be more careful.”

Loki stared at him, his lips parted as he blinked and tried to let that sink in. “No one?” he repeated slowly. “No one knows about you?” He’d assumed it was just the public that didn’t know, but no one else did? None of his friends knew?

“That’s right,” Thor said, and crossed his arms over his chest. “No one in that locker room knows about me, and I’d like to keep it that way, if you don’t mind.”

Loki couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He kept staring at Thor, blinking several times as if that would somehow wake him up from what felt like an incredibly strange dream. “I…” He closed his mouth again, and waited a couple of seconds before giving it another shot. “I never took you for a coward,” he finally said, not even trying to suppress the bitterness in his voice.

“Excuse me? I’m not a coward,” Thor said immediately, but Loki shook his head.

“Yes, you are. You’re not even out?” He stepped past Thor to get to his suitcase, quickly shutting it before standing back up again. “I can’t date a man who’s still in the closet. I’ve done that before, and… It’s too much of a struggle. I refuse to be some dirty little secret.”

“You don’t even want us to be a couple,” Thor pointed out, and Loki could tell he was doing everything he could to keep his voice down. “What does it matter to you? If I’m just some guy you’re sleeping with, why do you care so much about what people know or don’t know about me?”

“Because it just complicates things,” Loki pointed out, and took a step away from Thor. He moved closer to the door, and Thor quickly reached out to put a hand on his shoulder.

“Loki, wait,” Thor said, and Loki stopped, but didn’t turn around to look at him. “Look, you need to understand… This is wrestling. I love this business more than anything else in the world, but I also know that it can be incredibly racist, and sexist, and… homophobic. If I choose to come out, it could hurt my chances of getting to the top. Do you know how many openly gay wrestlers there have been? Do you know how many bi wrestlers there have been? Practically none. If I came out, they would either use it to hurt my career, or I would become some kind of… unofficial spokesperson, and they would use my sexuality to make themselves look more open and tolerant. And I refuse to be some kind of pawn in their little game. What I do in the bedroom has nothing to do with them. I don’t want you to think that I’m ashamed, because I’m not. I don’t care what anyone thinks about me, but I do care about my career.” He slowly used his hand on Loki’s shoulder to turn him around, and he moved his hand to cup the back of his neck, forcing Loki to look into his eyes. “I’m not ashamed of this. I’m not ashamed of… whatever it is we have. And I’m certainly not ashamed of myself. Being open about this is not as easy as you seem to think it is. In fact, you should be able to understand this better than anyone. I doubt stepping out of the closet has always been a piece of cake for you.” He sighed, shaking his head. “If you want to walk out that door and never see me again, then fine. I’ll understand. But I don’t want you to.”

Loki was silent for a long moment, trying not to get lost in Thor’s eyes as he thought about what he had just said. “I don’t know,” he said quietly. “I don’t know if... “ He sighed, and tilted his head down.

“I’ll think about it,” Thor quickly said, and Loki turned his head back up again, giving him a hesitant look. “I’ll think about… letting them know. My friends, that is. The fans, my bosses… I’m not doing that right now. It’s too big of a risk, but maybe I can let my friends know about us. Okay? I don’t want it to be a secret. I don’t. It’s just not something we talk about.”

Loki sighed heavily, ignoring how tight his chest suddenly felt as he looked into Thor’s eyes. “Okay,” he said. “I should… I should go. I don’t want to miss my flight.” This was not at all how he had wanted their weekend to end, but he needed to go. He needed to get out of there. All of this was just a lot to take in, and he needed some time to think about it.

Thor seemed to understand that, and he nodded his head, a sad smile on his face as he pulled him in for a kiss. It lasted no more than a couple of seconds, and he leaned their foreheads together for a moment before he pulled back completely, giving Loki another smile as he opened the door for him.

“We’ll see each other soon, right?”

Loki gave him a quick nod, and made sure he had everything he needed before he walked past Thor, a heavy weight settling into his stomach as he made his way over to the elevators and heard the door close behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Thor has as his ringtone is of course the amazing theme used by The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels. If you haven't heard the song before, and you want to know what Thor and Loki were listening to, you can find it right [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dqcpNEp0EM)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again. There's not a lot of Thor in this chapter, but Loki needed a break from him because he's a stubborn little shit. I actually saw this quote on tumblr the other day, and I immediately thought of Loki. "What are you more afraid of? That he gave you his heart, or that you would gladly give him yours in return?" That's sort of the theme of this chapter, as I'm sure you'll be able to tell. Enjoy!

Loki hated getting back home to his empty apartment. He walked from room to room, turning on the lights even though it was still relatively bright outside. Once he’d put his suitcase next to his closet, deciding that he could unpack some other time, he let out a deep sigh and tried to ignore the awful silence. He missed him already. It pained him to admit to himself, but he did. There was no denying it. He missed the sound of his voice, and he missed his laugh. He missed his smile. More than anything, he missed the way Thor had smiled so brightly at him, as if nothing else could make him happier than the two of them sharing that bed.

He hadn’t smiled when they’d said goodbye, though. Loki could still remember the look on Thor’s face when he told him he had to leave. The memory of it had latched itself onto the forefront of his mind and refused to let go, no matter how much he tried to force himself to think about other things. He was sure their goodbye had made it a thousand times worse. If they had managed to have a normal goodbye, perhaps he would not have been missing Thor quite as much. He could have gotten one last kiss. They could have had sex one last time, and they could have promised each other that they would make sure to meet again soon.

He’d gotten none of that. Instead, there had been mumbled words and a distinct lack of eye contact before he had hurried out of Thor’s room and over to the elevator. Now he was home, and he wasn’t sure how to feel. He must have checked his phone a hundred times on his way to and from the airport. He had no messages from Thor. No missed calls. He was probably waiting for him to make the first move, and he wasn’t ready for that just yet. Not right away. He would need some time to think this through before he could make a decision. If Thor wanted him to be the one to reach out, he would have to wait.

Since he’d barely had anything to eat all day - only a glass of water and peanuts on the plane - he forced himself to heat up some Chinese food he had in his fridge that still smelled okay. He ate it in the kitchen before heading into his bedroom. It was far too early to go to sleep, but he decided it would be easier to think in bed. At the very least, he figured it could help him relax.

It wasn’t any easier to think in bed, though, and it didn’t make him relax. There were about a million different thoughts running through his head all at once, and he couldn’t make sense of any of them. He’d placed his phone on the other side of the bed, and now it was just lying there, mocking him with its dark screen that refused to light up.

Loki didn’t know what to do. Should he call Thor and tell him it was alright, that they could still do this? But did he really want to deal with this crap? Obviously they weren’t in a relationship, and he hadn’t exactly expected Thor to let everybody know about him, but the thought of being someone Thor was ashamed of was just too much for him. He didn’t need that in his life right now. He didn’t need the added drama. He was already having sex with a famous wrestler. He didn’t want to be having sex with a famous wrestler who still happened to be in the closet. And it was clearly by choice. No matter what Thor had told him, Loki definitely believed he was in the closet by choice. If he really wanted the other wrestlers to know about his sexuality, it would have been out by now. He would have been out by now.

He did understand that the world of wrestling could be homophobic. That was hardly much of a surprise. It was full of men. Men who were praised for their ability to beat each other up. Men who wrestled shirtless and often found themselves in compromising positions. Clearly, no one ever paid attention to that last part. Which didn’t surprise him either. 

Obviously Loki knew what it was like to come out of the closet. Had it always been easy? No. Thor was right when he pointed that out. High school had been hell. And Thor was someone who had fans, someone who had people watching his every move. But Loki wasn’t asking him to tell the whole world. He wasn’t asking him to tell the people he worked with or for. He just wanted to be able to say hi to his friends, maybe have Thor wrap an arm around him and proudly introduce him as… something other than his boyfriend. They would have to come up with a name for what he was. The point was, though, that Thor was of course allowed to keep his sexuality hidden from the fans if he felt like that was necessary right now. They had no right to know about him. Loki just didn’t want to be a secret when it came to his friends. 

Loki fell asleep still thinking about this, and when he woke up the next morning he knew that Thor had been the star of at least one of his dreams, but he couldn’t remember exactly what had happened. He didn’t have time to think about it either. He needed to get to work. It was Monday morning, he had missed about half a day, and he needed to make up for it.

He quickly showered and got dressed, tossing the shirt Thor had ruined aside while picking out another white one. He checked his phone on his way to work, but there were still no messages, and no missed calls. Nothing. If he hadn’t gotten a text by the end of that night, he would know for sure that Thor was leaving it up to him.

One of the few good things about work that day was that it served as a great distraction. He got a well deserved break and was able to concentrate on something other than Thor. For the next couple of hours, he was so busy he simply didn’t have time to worry about anything else. As soon as he got back home, though, those familiar thoughts quickly made themselves known, and Thor was once again the only thing on his mind. He thought of him while he ate, and he thought of him while he sat on the couch and waited for Raw to begin.

The show had just gotten started when he reached for the remote and pressed the button to turn it off before any wrestlers could come out. He wasn’t going to watch it tonight. Seeing Thor again would just serve as a huge distraction, and that was the last thing he needed right now. He had a feeling that he would give in and send Thor a text as soon as he saw him shirtless and sweaty in the ring, and that wasn’t going to work. If he wanted to make calm, rational decision, he had to stay away from him.

As he remained there on the couch, he drummed his fingers against his knees and tried to ignore the remote, which was calling out to him to put the show back on again. He stubbornly hid it under a magazine just to make sure he wouldn’t be tempted. Out of sight, out of mind.

His phone buzzed just a couple of seconds later, and Loki dove right for it, snatching it up and swiping his finger against the screen to unlock it. He had a text. He had a text! Oh. It was from Amora. Just what he needed right now. He knew exactly what she would say if she found out what he had done, which was why he sighed to himself before he read her text. She was asking him if he was watching, and if he was ever going to call her to let her know what had happened.

No. No, he wasn’t. He put his phone back down again, trying not to acknowledge the stab of disappointment he felt at realizing that Thor probably wasn’t going to text him tonight. He’d already figured as much, but that didn’t make it any less annoying.

His phone buzzed several times in the next couple of minutes, but he ignored it every time, keeping his eyes forward and hoping that Amora would realize that she wasn’t being acknowledged. It worked pretty well. That is, until his phone didn’t stop buzzing. Amora was calling him, and Loki let out a long, deep sigh, hesitating for a long moment before he finally reached for it.

“What?”

“Why are you ignoring me?”

“Because I’m busy,” he said, and looked around the living room for something to blame it on. His eyes fell on his laptop, and he quickly stood up and walked over to get it, as if she would somehow be able to tell if he wasn’t actually using it. It was silly, really. She didn’t have cameras hidden in his apartment. At least not as far as he knew.

“Busy doing what? Are you watching the show?”

“No,” he said, and sat back down again, placing his laptop on his lap. “I’m working. I don’t have time to watch.”

“You’re kidding me right? Why would you not want to watch? It’s…” She trailed off, and Loki immediately made a face, keeping his eyes shut as he waited for her to continue.

“What happened now?” she asked, and Loki resented the sound of her voice, like she was tired of his shit and couldn’t believe that he had managed to fuck it up again. Well, it wasn’t his fault this time.

“We had a disagreement. Right before I left.” He checked his emails and tried to focus on them while he waited for her response, a soft sigh slipping past his lips when he remembered what Thor had done to distract him. He wasn’t sure if he would ever get that kind of distraction again. Not from Thor, anyway.

“What kind of disagreement?” Amora asked. “Come on, Loki. What did you do this time?”

Loki turned his eyes away from his laptop and pulled his phone away from his ear so that he could glare at it for a second or two. “Why do you just assume it’s my fault? It wasn’t my fault. Not entirely.” He went on to tell Amora about the way he had teased Steve, and that Thor had gotten upset over it and told him to be more careful because he was still in the closet.

“See? It wasn’t my fault. I realize my teasing led to our disagreement, but the disagreement itself wouldn’t have happened if he wasn’t hiding who he is from his friends.”

Amora was silent for a long moment, and Loki read through another email as he waited for her to say something, wondering if she would actually be on his side or not. She had a habit of calling him an idiot and blaming everything on him, but this time she had to understand that it wasn’t his fault. Right?

“Loki…” she began, and Loki tilted his head up. “You are such an idiot.”

He gave the wall an unimpressed look. If he had been on The Office, he would have been giving the camera a look right about now. He gritted his teeth together, and clenched his jaw for a second or two before he decided to respond.

“Why?” he asked, not bothering to hide his frustration at once again being named the bad guy. “Why am I the idiot here?”

“Because it’s not up to you to decide whom he should tell or not. It’s his life. It’s his job. Do you even realize how this business works? Look, I’ve watched wrestling a lot longer than you have, and I like it, but it’s not like it’s perfect. It has plenty of flaws, and I acknowledge that. You have no idea how many times I’ve rolled my eyes at the blatant sexism. And it’s not just on camera. It’s behind the scenes as well. How easy do you think it would be to let people know you like other men when you’re in that locker room? He may not be gay, which I’m sure would be even worse, but just the fact that he likes to do it with other men? That’s probably bad enough.” She paused for a moment, and Loki could hear her sighing. “I’m not saying they’re all going to hate him, or be disgusted by him. I’m sure he’d get plenty of support. But there is a chance it could hurt his career. I don’t think he would disappear, he’s too big for that, but maybe they won’t want to have someone who’s bi as the WWE Champion. Or maybe they do, but he won’t know if it’s because he’s talented, or  because they want to show everyone how open and tolerant they are.”

“You sound just like him,” Loki muttered. He shrugged his shoulders. “Listen, I’m not stupid. I’m gay, okay? And I’m well aware of the fact that the world is still homophobic as fuck. I know it’s not easy to be out. How many times have I gotten beaten up over it?”

“Well, to be fair, you were an annoying little shit back then. I don’t think they would’ve beaten you up that many times if you hadn’t been such a pain in the ass.”

“So you’re saying it’s my own fault?” Loki asked heatedly.

“No, of course not. Don’t be stupid. You know how much I hated it every time you showed up at my place with bruises all over your body. I even helped you get back at them, didn’t I?”

Loki nodded his head. That was true. Amora had helped him get back at those assholes, and he would always be grateful for that. Not that it wasn’t something he could have done on his own, but the help was most definitely appreciated.

“Anyway, back to our main discussion. I think you’re too quick to judge. Besides… I know you’re not going to like me saying this, but I kind of have to agree with him. Why does it matter to you? He’s just some guy you’re having sex with.”

“It matters to me because…” Loki trailed off, and furrowed his brow as he realized he didn’t know how to finish that sentence. He moved forward and put his laptop on the coffee table, leaning back against the couch as he tried to think of a good enough response. Why did it matter to him? He didn’t want them to become an official couple anyway. At the same time, there was a difference between wanting to keep your little… fling hidden, and knowing that the other person wouldn’t want to tell anyone even if you did become a couple. If they for some reason decided that the two of them were in a relationship, would Thor still want to keep it hidden? Would they have to hide every time they went out in public together? If they were spotted together, would Thor assure his fans that he was just a friend and nothing more? Loki would never be alright with that. In fact, he was pretty sure he would end up giving Thor a blowjob in a very public space just to make sure people knew he was more than just a friend.

“Loki?” He was snapped out of his thoughts at Amora’s voice, and blinked a couple of times before he remembered what they were talking about, and what he was supposed to be thinking about.

“It matters to me because I still think it’s cowardly, and because I don’t want to be something on the side he’s just going to use whenever he feels like he needs a great ass to fuck. What’s next? Is he going to pretend to be in a relationship with a woman?”

“He never said anything about wanting to pretend he was straight, did he? There’s a difference between pretending to be straight and not letting people know you enjoy dating men.”

“No, there’s not,” Loki muttered, even though he supposed Amora had a point. A small one. Tiny. He let out a defeated sigh and shook his head. “Okay, fine. Say I understand why he’s doing this. That doesn’t mean I have to be okay with it.”

“Well, what would you have him do?” Amora said. “Do you want him to tell the other wrestlers? Do you want him to tell the world?”

“I... “

“I mean, what do you expect him to do?” She took a deep breath before slipping into a deeper voice which he assumed was supposed to sound like Thor’s. “‘Nice match you had there, Hulk. Oh, and by the way, I’m bi’. Look he told Steve, didn’t he? And why did he tell Steve? Because they’re friends. Because that was something he wanted to share with him. It makes no sense for him to walk into his boss’ office and inform him that he happens to enjoy fucking guys every now and then.”

Loki didn’t answer. He hated that she was right. He hated that he understood what she meant, and that she had a point. He thought he had a relatively good point as well, though. He didn’t want to be with a coward, and if Thor actually hid who he was on purpose, then he was most definitely a coward. Still, he understood why he wasn’t walking around telling everyone. He did. And maybe he needed to tell him that.

“Fine, I guess you have a point” he said, forcing every syllable through his gritted teeth. “I never asked him to come out to his boss anyway. I realize that would be a huge step. I just wanted him to tell his friends. But I’m not going to call him tonight. I still need to think about this.”

“Fair enough,” Amora sighed, but sounded a lot more enthusiastic when she continued. “Now, why don’t you tell me what happened between the two of you? Was it as good as you thought it was going to be?”

“It was better,” Loki said, unable to stop the smile that appeared on his lips. “It was much better than any fantasy you were able to put together. He pushed me up against the door and kissed me as soon as I got there.”

Amora groaned, and Loki snickered as he prepared himself to tell her the rest, but she stopped him  before he could continue. “Okay, nevermind. I can’t listen to this. Not like this. I need a bottle of wine and possibly a cigarette. Why don’t I come over to your place tomorrow, and you can tell me all about what a magical time the two of you had together before you managed to ruin it?”

They agreed on a time, and Amora called him an idiot once more before they both hung up. Honestly, Loki wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about their conversation. He understood what she was saying, and he understood why Thor was trying to hide it, but he still didn’t like it. He didn’t like that Thor would probably be doing everything he could to hide him. Then again, Thor had been the one to tell him to come to the show. Maybe he didn’t want to hide him after all? Though there was a difference between sitting in the audience and being brought backstage. If he was sitting in the audience, no one would know he was there to see Thor. No one would know he was the one who would get to go home with him that night. Or at least to the nearest hotel. If the two of them would eventually choose to be something more than just… whatever they were… would Thor still want to hide him? Would he be ashamed to walk next to him in public?

Loki couldn’t answer these questions, but he wasn’t going to call Thor and force him to answer them either. It could wait. It could wait until he was sure he had made the right decision, and he would probably need at least another day for that.

He went to bed early that night, partly because he was tired of his phone mocking him, and partly because he felt like he needed to get as much sleep as possible. When he woke up the next morning, he had to drag himself out of bed. While he was looking forward to once again being able to focus on something other than Thor, he just didn’t feel like dealing with any of his co-workers. For some reason, a lot of them were expecting him to help them, and he already had enough to deal with since it had all of the sudden become his responsibility to handle the new deal they were about to make with another law firm. As soon as he arrived at the office, he was pulled in different directions. He had to tell someone this, and read through that, and take this call. The whole day was just draining. He barely had time for lunch, and by the time he was finally able to leave, he was running late. He hurried outside and into his car, driving home as fast as he could. By the time he got there, Amora was standing outside his front door, holding a bottle of wine in one hand, and a brown bag that smelled like food in the other.

“It’s about time,” she said. “I’m pretty sure our food has gone cold.”

“They wouldn’t let me leave,” Loki muttered, and stepped past her to unlock the door and let them both in. Amora headed straight for the kitchen, and Loki let out a deep sigh as he closed the door, immediately reaching up to remove his tie.

“Had fun at work?” Amora asked him, and Loki shook his head as he followed her into the kitchen, watching as she put what looked to be some kind of pasta dish into the microwave.

“It’s like they can’t do anything without me,” he said, rubbing his eyes as he sat down and leaned against the table. “If I hear one more person asking for help, I might end up killing someone. I’ve barely been able to get a moment alone all day.”

“You poor thing,” Amora said, and walked over to pat his shoulder, pretending to give him a sympathetic look. Loki jerked away from her touch and threw her a glare as she stepped back over to the microwave. Once it beeped, Amora put the pasta into two bowls and made him carry them while she brought the wine and two glasses into the living room.

“So,” she began as they sat down on the couch together, both of them reaching for their glasses first. “Tell me. What was it like?”

“Like I said, it was amazing,” Loki said, and took a small sip of his wine before he reached for his bowl. He let out a groan as he tried the pasta, quickly deciding that the creamy mushroom sauce was the best thing he’d eaten in a while, and he put some more of it into his mouth before he realized that he had to continue. “He pushed me against the door and gave me a handjob. Then he carried me over to the bed and fucked me.”

“How big was he?” Amora asked, leaning closer to him with a curious look on her face. “He was big, right? Don’t crush my dreams now, Loki. Tell me he was as big as we thought he was.”

Loki waited a moment, teasing her with a smirk on his lips, before he decided to answer. “He was big,” he confirmed. “Biggest one I’ve ever had. But not too big. He was… perfect. And the way he fucked me…” He’d told himself not to share too many of the details, but now that he was thinking about it, he just couldn’t help himself. “He was rough. Just like I wanted him to be. The way he was holding me down, thrusting into me… It felt so good.” In fact, the thought of it was enough to make him squirm, and he quickly focused on his pasta for a moment. He knew Amora would never let him live it down if he ended up getting an erection right here on the couch.

“How many times did you do it?” Amora asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. Loki shrugged.

“I can’t remember. A lot. We almost never left the bed. But he took care of me more times than I took care of him. He seemed so… I’m not sure what to call it. He wasn’t selfish. We both know I’ve had to deal with a lot of selfish pigs lately, but he was nothing like that.” He tilted his head to the side and licked his lips before he put his fork down. “He seemed to really enjoy pleasuring me.”

“Lucky bastard,” Amora sighed, and shook her head as she took one last sip of wine before putting her glass away to focus on her food. “So that’s all you did? You had sex?”

“Almost,” Loki said. “But we also talked. It’s like I’ve said before, he is surprisingly easy to talk to. When you look at him, he looks like a big, stupid… jock. But there’s something else about him. I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

When he turned his eyes back to Amora, he could tell there was something she was dying to tell him, and he gave her a suspicious look. “What?” he asked.

“You like him,” Amora said, and the way her lips stretched across her face into a smile made her look more triumphant than he had ever seen her before.

“What?” he asked again, and frowned at her. “No, I don’t. I mean, I like him well enough to have sex with him, if that’s what you mean.” But of course that wasn’t what she meant. He knew that.

“No, I mean, you really like him.” She let out something that sounded way too much like a squee, and Loki gave her a disgusted look.

“ I don’t like him. Don’t be ridiculous, Amora. It’s like I told him. He’s someone I like having sex with, and I don’t want to have sex with anyone else, but I don’t want there to be any labels involved. It’s just sex. He’s not my boyfriend, and I’m definitely not his.”

“Someone’s getting defensive,” Amora pointed out, and raised a brow at him. “It’s okay to like a guy, Loki. Sure, a relationship with him probably wouldn’t be easy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have one.”

“But I don’t want one,” Loki said. “And he doesn’t want one either. He told me that. He told me he doesn’t want to be in a relationship right now.”

“Was that before or after you said you didn’t want one?” Amora asked.

“After. What does it matter? I don’t want a relationship with someone who would just end up denying my existence. I don’t want a relationship period. If you want to get married and have blond little babies, then that’s fine. But it’s not for me, okay?”

Amora placed her bowl on the coffee table and put her hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay,” she said. “I get it. You don’t like him. If that’s what you want to tell yourself, then that’s fine. Do whatever you want. I just think you’re being ridiculous.”

Loki quickly put his bowl down as well, clenching his hands into fists as he took a deep breath to calm himself down before he ended up throwing the pasta at her. “You’ve never had a problem with me not being in a relationship before. What’s different about this time? Is it because you think it would be cool if your best friend dated a celebrity? Is it because you want to meet him? Is it because you’re desperately hoping he’d like you more than me? We both know your fiance is as dull as they get. I guess I can’t blame you for wanting a proper fuck for once.”

To his surprise, Amora didn’t slap him. Instead, she simply shook her head. “Fuck you,” she said, and grabbed her purse before standing up. “You know what? I realize that you’re scared, but that doesn’t mean you have the right to take it all out on me. I just want to see you happy for once, Loki. Is that so wrong?” She sighed, and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m going home. Call me when you’ve decided to stop acting like a child.” She quickly left the room, and Loki crossed his arms over his chest, just about to let out a sigh of his own when he realized she was coming back. Without throwing him as much as a glance, she stomped over to the coffee table and grabbed the bottle of wine. “And I’m taking this with me.” She turned around again, and Loki glared at her as she left, pressing his lips together when he heard the front door open and close.

Stupid Amora. Stupid Amora who for some reason thought she could see right through him. Well, maybe she couldn’t read him like an open book. Maybe she didn’t understand everything about him. He wasn’t scared. That was not what this was all about. And he definitely didn’t like Thor. Not like that, anyway. Thor was hot, and nice. He could also be funny, and he wasn’t quite as annoying as he looked. But he didn’t LIKE him. He tolerated him. If it hadn’t been for the sex, the two of them would have had absolutely nothing in common. He liked to watch wrestling, yes, but that was about it. He didn’t even know what else Thor liked to do. Wrestling was probably most of his life. Loki didn’t need that. He needed someone a bit more… sophisticated than that. The two of them were complete opposites, and even though he wasn’t very good at relationships, he knew that wasn’t a good start.

With a loud huff, he reached for his bowl and finished his pasta in silence, wondering why Amora had to be so stubborn. Why couldn’t she just stop calling him scared? Loki knew he had taken it a step too far, but she had started it. He never would have lashed out if she hadn’t basically gone ahead and called him a coward. He was the one who would have to fix it, though. She would never be the first to call. Which meant that he now had two people he needed to call. As if one hadn’t been enough. He really didn’t  feel like contacting either one of them, mostly because he had a feeling he would be forced to apologize. To Amora, at least. He wasn’t sure if Thor would force him into anything.

The silence of his apartment was getting to him again, and Loki briefly wondered if perhaps he should put on some music or something as he finished the rest of his meal. He was just about to drink up what was left of his wine when he did hear music, and it took him a couple of seconds to realize that it was hs phone. Someone was calling him. Was it Amora? Maybe she wanted to yell at him again? Slowly, he turned his eyes to look at it, and raised his brows when he noticed the name on the screen.

Thor.

He hesitated for a moment before he reached for it, and then another moment before he made sure to answer.

“Yes?”

“Hey. It’s me.” It certainly was. It was good to hear his voice again, which was a stupid thing to think when they had only been away from each other for two days. He should not have been missing Thor already.

“Did you watch the show yesterday?”

“No,” Loki said, and shook his head. “I didn’t.”

There was a pause, and he grabbed one of the pillows and put it on his lap as he waited for Thor to say something. He must have called for a reason.

“That’s too bad. I was actually going to wait for you to call, but since you didn’t…” Another pause. “I figured you’d be happy to know that I’ve told some people. I did it last night after the show. I didn’t tell everyone, but it’s hard to keep a secret around here. There’s a lot of gossip. Soon enough, it might spread, and then it’ll only be a matter of time before everyone knows. Anyway, I told Bruce, Tony, and Nat, and Clint.”

Loki stared at the wall, his eyes wide as he tried to let Thor’s announcement sink in. He had told them? He had actually told them? But… why? Was it all for him?

“Why?” he asked, because he needed to know. “I thought you didn’t want to tell them? This isn’t because I told you to, is it? Are you really that much of a pushover?”

“Wait…” Thor let out a chuckle. “Are you telling me that no matter what I do, I can’t win? If I don’t tell them, I’m a coward, and if I do tell them, I’m a pushover?”

Loki shrugged his shoulders. Fine. Perhaps that sounded a bit unfair. No, it didn’t make Thor a pushover. He still didn’t know why he had decided to do it, and even if he had done it because of him, it was… sweet, he supposed. Or something like that.

“I didn’t tell them just because you wanted me to, Loki. Like it or not, this isn’t about you. It’s about my life. You just got me thinking. It was after the show, and we were hungry so we all went out to eat. Eventually we got around to talking about sex and hookups, and Barton asked me if I’d… gotten any lately. I guess he thought I seemed a bit tense. So I told them. I told them about you. Some of them were more surprised than others. Clint was gaping at me, but Natasha looked like she’d known all along.”

Loki was quiet for a long moment, not entirely sure how he was expected to react. Was he supposed to comfort Thor and tell him he was proud of him, or was he supposed to apologize for putting those thoughts into his head in the first place?

“I… I’m not sure what to say,” he confessed. “Which is a first for me.” He thought about it for a moment. “Who’s Natasha?”

“Black Widow,” Thor answered with another chuckle. “Sorry, I forgot you don’t know their real names. I was out with Hulk, Stark, Cap, Widow, and Hawkeye.”

“You were having dinner with Stark and Hulk?” Loki repeated, and frowned. “Why? They stole that briefcase from you. They’ve been mocking you ever since.”

“It’s all scripted, Loki,” Thor pointed out. “We play enemies in the ring, but they’re actually really good friends of mine. Maybe you’ll get to meet them sometime.”

“I’d rather not,” Loki muttered, and made a face at the thought of meeting the two of them. “Stark seems like such a pain in the ass.” Thor laughed at that, and Loki managed a small smile as he listened to him.

“So,” Thor began once he’d calmed down. “Are you okay with this? I haven’t told everyone, because I don’t think it’s any of their business, but all of my closest friends know. And for the record, I would never lie about you. I’d never try to hide you. You deserve better than that. If we were a couple, I would gladly show you off. Trust me. And I’d do it all with a proud smile on my face.”

Loki felt a small blush making its way to his cheeks, and he shook his head, throwing the pillow away because he suddenly felt like it was getting just a little too hot. “It’s not like I’m planning on telling the people I work with about you,” he pointed out, and rubbed his hand against his thigh. “I understand why you hesitated. And I understand why you’d rather just tell your friends. For the record, I never wanted to force you out of the closet”

Thor probably realized that was the closest he was going to get to an apology, and he hummed in agreement. “It’s okay. I know you didn’t. So we’re okay now, right? I’ve told my friends about you, and you’ve sort of apologized for questioning my reasons for not telling people about my sexuality. I’d say we’re even.”

“Deal,” Loki said, and nodded his head, pushing himself up from the couch so that he could head into his bedroom, reaching up with his free hand to start unbuttoning his shirt on the way. “Now, aren’t you going to ask me what I’m wearing?”

  
  



	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, a new chapter. I'd just like to let you all know that my plan for this fic is to post at least one new chapter each week. Unfortunately, that hasn't always worked out. Loss of laptop, writer's block, and... other things happening in my life have made it impossible. These last two weeks have been so hard, and I haven't really looked forward to writing, but I'm hoping I'll be able to get back to it now.
> 
> Anyway, enough of that. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

And just like that, everything was back to normal. The new normal, that is. He went to work in the mornings, and he talked to Thor in the evenings. Maybe not every evening, but they called each other at least a couple of times a week. He was also talking to Amora again. She had been willing to accept his apology. An apology she had almost had to force out of him. ‘I’m sorry’ usually didn’t come easy to him, which she really should have known by now.

“You really are an idiot,” she had pointed out to him. “And I stand by what I said that night. If you could just let go of whatever issues you have, maybe you could actually be happy for once.”

“Careful, Amora,” Loki had hissed at her, and she warned him not to start another fight because this time she probably wouldn’t forgive him as easily. She also told him he was a huge jackass before they hung up. He didn’t object.

The good news just kept on coming, since according to Thor, no one was treating him any differently behind the scenes. He hadn’t noticed a thing. No looks, and no whispered words behind his back. Then again, he wasn’t sure how many people actually knew about him. Obviously his friends knew, but he had no idea if they had told anyone else. It didn’t seem like they had. Or if they had, no one cared enough to bother him about it.

Loki was glad to hear it. He didn’t want Thor to have to suffer because of what they had together. Mostly because it could have made Thor want to pull away from him, and that was clearly not what he wanted.

As they reached the middle of September, he was beginning to realize that they had known each other for a little more than two months. Two months, and they had only had a couple of days together. It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. They were already talking about when they would get to meet up again, though Loki was very firm on Thor having to come over to his place this time. He simply did not have time to leave the state again. They were still swamped at work, and while he thought about walking out at least three times a day, he knew he couldn’t leave. No matter what was happening at the moment, he did like his job, and he did not want to lose it. As so, Thor had to come to him.

“It makes the most sense,” he pointed out one night. “I work five days a week, sometimes more than that. You only work two nights a week.”

“Two nights a week?” Thor repeated. “You really think I only work two nights a week? Raw and Smackdown? That’s it, right?" He chuckled loudly. "Oh, you sweet summer child. You have no idea, do you?”

Loki remained silent for a long moment. He did not appreciate being mocked, and he also did not understand why he was expected to know everything about what it was like to be a wrestler when Thor usually did not talk to him about what life was like on the road. He talked to him about wrestling, sure, but usually only about his matches and upcoming events. Loki didn’t know much about the rest of it.

“Look, let’s take next week as an example. I have Raw live on Monday, and then I have to tape Smackdown and Main Event the next night, in a different city. Then we have… two more live shows that week, and I’m supposed to appear on both of them. And hey’re taking place in different states, which means there’s a lot of time on the road to get there. And then… it’s Monday again, and I’m back on Raw. If you want to keep pretending I have it easier than you, then go ahead. Maybe I do. But it’s a lot more to it than working two nights a week and spending the rest of the time twiddling my thumbs.”

“How am I supposed to know that when you don’t tell me about it?” Loki asked. “You only talk to me about Raw.”

“I’m telling you now, aren’t I?”

Okay, fine. So Thor was busy as well. And apparently he was still in the process of deciding whether to be in that movie or not. Thor had confessed to him that he was mostly hesitating because of what they had together. That, and the fact that he didn’t know if this was the best time for him to disappear from the show. Because that was what would happen if he agreed to it. He couldn’t work on the movie and wrestle at the same time, which meant that he would have to be off the show until the movie was finished. And it also meant that there would be even less of a chance for the two of them to see each other again.

Loki was flattered that Thor was willing to take him into consideration, but at the same time he was quick to assure him that he could do whatever he wanted. If he wanted to be in that movie, then he should be in that movie. They could wait a while longer. He said that to Thor more than once, but he wasn’t sure if he meant it. He wasn’t sure how much longer he would be willing to wait. He just wanted to see him again. He felt like he was slowly but surely going crazy. His apartment still felt too quiet. Not that he got to spend much time in it now because of work, but still. It was quiet, and his bed was way too big. He’d always enjoyed that, but now it felt like something was missing. He hated that. He hated that he kept thinking about Thor and his big arms, and how nice it had been to have them wrapped around himself. He’d been so warm, and it  had been so easy to sleep next to him. Not that he was having any trouble sleeping on his own. He was exhausted every time he came back to his apartment. He even fell asleep while talking to Thor once. Not while they were in the middle of phone sex, though. He managed to get himself through that part, but he fell asleep when they were in the middle of chatting about something that must not have been exciting enough to keep him up. When he woke up the next morning, he couldn’t help but wonder if Thor had kept listening long enough to hear him snore into his pillow. He hoped not, because that wasn’t very attractive.

“You still don’t watch NXT, right?” Thor asked one Monday night. They’d just finished a really intense round of phone sex, and Loki put Thor on speaker and let his phone rest on the other side of the bed as he pushed himself up and reached for a tissue.

“No,” he said, and cleaned his hand and his stomach. “Of course I don’t. Why?”

“You should watch it this week.”

“Why?” Loki asked again, and crumpled the tissue into a ball before he tried to toss it into the small bin that stood next to the bedside table. He missed it.

“Because I’m going to be on it. I won't be wrestling, but I’ll be making a guest appearance.”

Loki frowned. “I hate to be repeating myself, but… Why?”

“Why what? Why should you watch, or why am I on the show?”

Loki tilted his head to the side, and brushed his fingers against his chest and his stomach, making sure he was clean before he reached for his blanket. “Both, I suppose, though I was referring to you being on the show. Why would you go back down there? I thought you had moved on.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t pay them a visit every now and then. That’s where I first got started when I came to WWE. I love those guys. Besides, I’ve got friends over there. Even if you don’t watch it, it’s all going to make sense on Raw, which I hope you’ll be watching.”

“Of course I will,” Loki said, and put his head against his pillow. “I have no reason not to.”

“Good,” Thor said, and Loki could hear the excitement in his voice. “And I’m assuming you’re watching Night of Champions on Sunday?”

Loki shrugged his shoulders, letting out a long yawn before he answered. “I guess. Who are you fighting? Are you going to win a championship?” He certainly hoped so. It was about damn time, wasn’t it? The only thing he knew about this event was that all of the current champions were going to defend their championships, and he hoped Thor was going to win one of them.

“Loki, if I was in a championship match, they would have announced it already. Sorry to disappoint, but I’m afraid it’s a normal match for me.”

Loki huffed, and turned his eyes over to his phone. “Then what’s the point? Why should I watch this thing if you’re not even going to win a championship? It’s called Night of Champions. You’re the biggest champion there, why can’t you win?” Before Thor even had the chance to answer him, he decided to continue. “Furthermore, if I throw as much of a glance at your track record, I can say for certain that you’re going to lose. You’ve lost more pay-per-view matches than you’ve won. So tell me, Thor, why should I bother watching?”

“Because it could still be a great match?” Thor suggested. “It’s not always about winning or losing, Loki. It’s about having a great time while you’re out there, and I usually have a great time. Besides, I’m not the only person you should be watching it for. I think Widow’s going to have an amazing match against Mystique. Oh, and Thanos. You have to see Thanos. You missed him last time, I think it’s about time you get to watch him in the ring. Trust me, you don’t want to miss that match.”

“I’ll think about it,” Loki said.

“That’s all I’m asking,” Thor told him.

Of course, he ended up not watching NXT. He just didn’t have the time. He was exhausted every time he came home from work, and when he was tired he just couldn’t find it in himself to care about watching some people he didn’t even know wrestle. At least he was used to the people on the main roster. These people, however? He had never seen or heard of them before. Other than Thor’s friends, that is. He did think about possibly watching Thor’s part and nothing else, but then he would have to find that one part, and that was far too much trouble for him when he was almost falling asleep on the couch.

Two days later, Amora called and asked him if he wanted to watch Night of Champions together, and Loki told her that he might not even watch it. She seemed surprised at that, and wondered why he wouldn’t want to see his boyfriend wrestle.

“Don’t,” Loki warned her, but she ignored him.

“Seriously, Loki, why wouldn’t you want to watch? You’re not fighting again, are you?”

“No, everything’s fine,” Loki told her, and went on to explain to her that while he would probably watch if he had time, he wasn’t going to put aside other - more important - things when Thor wasn’t even going to compete for one of the championships.

“He can’t always have the most important matches,” Amora tried to point out, but Loki wasn’t listening to her. He didn’t care about that. Realistically he realized that Thor couldn’t always be the most important guy, but… He was _never_ the most important guy. Almost never. Usually, Cap was the one to hog the spotlight. Or Hulk. Even Hulk won more matches than Thor did. It wasn’t fair. Loki wondered if he could file a complaint somewhere. Perhaps there was some way for him to get in touch with the people in charge? He could… pretend to want to do their PR or something. And then he could go ahead and tell them that the first thing they needed to do was to let Thor be champion. The most important champion. He needed to have long matches every week, and he needed to win almost all of them. Oh, and he also needed to wrestle shirtless. While Loki liked the leathery blue outfit he was wearing at the moment, he really thought it would have been more interesting to see Thor wrestle shirtless. And surely he couldn’t be the only one thinking that. Ratings were bound to skyrocket if Thor showed up shirtless every week. He also needed to talk more. Thor was actually a good talker, and he knew how to cut a good promo. Why not use that more often?

See? Loki knew exactly what WWE needed to do to improve their shows. Clearly, he should have been allowed to run the whole thing. He was sure he would have been able to figure something out for the other wrestlers as well. If Loki had been the one to run the company, he would have come out to the ring every week, and he would have forced the entire roster to kneel before him. That would have been quite a sight. Especially Hulk and Stark. He would have made them grovel at his feet. And as for Thor… He would have made him kneel as well, but in a more private setting.

If only.

Unfortunately, Loki was well aware that his little fantasy wasn’t going to come true any time soon. He was still stuck at his current job, and even though he didn’t really like it at the moment, he knew had to get through it and hope that it would get easier in a couple of weeks. It was bound to. As soon as they had finished the deal they were working on, things were bound to calm down a bit, which meant that he could return to only wanting to stab his colleagues once a day, instead of the five he was currently on.

Before he knew it, it was Sunday, and it was time for Night of Champions. But he didn’t get a lot of free time that day. He got a phone call at three in the afternoon, asking him to come into the office. Since Loki didn’t have anything else to do, he forced himself to leave his apartment and head over to work, hoping that he wouldn’t have to stay too long. Unfortunately, he ended up having to stay for quite a few hours, which was not at all how he had wanted to spend his Sunday evening.

Thor texted him around eight, wanting to know if he was watching, and Loki quickly texted him back, telling him that he was stuck at work.

‘Still? You should at least try to get home in time for the last match. You have to see Thanos.’

Loki pulled his sleeve up a bit and threw a glance at his watch. The show would go on for three hours. So he had less than three hours to get home. Would he really be able to make that? He had a feeling it would take him at least two hours to finish what he was working on, and then he would also have to try to get back to his apartment in time. It was doubtful. Very doubtful.

‘Not making any promises,’ he wrote, and sent that before putting his phone down on his desk, not picking it back up until it buzzed with Thor’s response.

‘Just let me know. I’m heading out now.’ Loki sighed, trying not to pout as he leaned back in his chair. Even though it wasn’t an important match, and even though Thor would probably lose it, he didn’t like the fact that Thor was walking out to the ring and he wasn’t there to watch it. There was nothing he could do about it, though.

Loki did his best to concentrate on what he was supposed to be doing for the next couple of hours. It wasn’t easy, but he made it happen. By the time one of his co-workers came over to tell him he should go home and get some rest, Loki knew he wasn’t going to make it back in time to watch that last match. It was already well over past ten, and even if he did manage to make it home in thirty minutes, there was no point in turning on the TV just to watch the last few moments.

Since he wasn’t going to make it anyway, he ended up stopping to buy some food and some ice cream. When he got home, he finished his food and sent Thor a text to let him know he had missed it before finally heading to bed, passing out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

He almost threw his alarm clock across the room when it beeped early the next morning, and he snoozed for another twenty minutes before he forced himself up. The only thing he was looking forward to was being able to watch Raw later that night. Of course, he needed to actually get home in time to watch it, though he certainly hoped he wouldn’t have to stay at the office for that many hours. If he did, he figured he might scream. The day passed much too slowly for his taste. He had to sit through three meetings until he could finally lock himself into his office, allowing himself a couple of minutes to himself before getting back out there. At seven, he was still at the office, throwing glances at his watch every couple of seconds because he only had an hour left before Raw would start and he really needed to get home. Thor had implied that something exciting would be happening, and he really wanted to know what it was. Ten minutes later, he’d had enough. He excused himself from some of his co-workers and actually snuck out of the office, hurrying to his car before anyone could stop him and ask him for help again. He let out a long dramatic sigh when he was finally on his way home, hoping that whatever Thor was about to do tonight was worth leaving a few minutes earlier than he probably should have.

When he got home he hurried into the living room to turn on the TV. It had just started, and Thor was nowhere in sight which gave him an opportunity to rush into the bathroom, taking care of everything that needed to be taken care of before he headed into the kitchen. He was a little hungry, but at the same time he didn’t really feel like eating any proper food, which was why he reached for the chocolate chip ice cream he had bought the other day.

Back on the couch, he sat down with his ice cream and brought the first spoonful into his mouth as Captain America’s music hit. When he came out on stage, Loki snickered to himself as he thought back to the look on his face when he’d teased him. The fallout may not have been nice, but nothing could ever take away his glee at seeing Captain America look so… flustered.

There were several matches he didn’t really care about, and he watched them with one eye while keeping his other eye on his phone. He snuck back into the kitchen at some point to put his ice cream back into the freezer, and hurried back just in case Thor would come out soon. But no, it was time for the Divas. They showed some pictures of what had happened yesterday at Night of Champions, and Loki was surprised to learn that Black Widow had lost her championship to Mystique. Apparently, the two of them had pulled off an absolutely amazing match, and Loki was almost a little sad about missing it because even he had to admit that Black Widow was an excellent fighter, and actually one of the wrestlers who was a lot of fun to watch. But now it was Mystique’s turn to show off, apparently, and Loki actually put his phone aside as she walked down the ramp and over to the ring. Once inside, she pushed her red hair aside and grabbed the microphone that was offered to her, a tight smirk playing on her lips as she went on to talk about being the new Diva’s Champion, and that Widow was not good enough to beat her. She talked for quite a few minutes, and Loki was just wondering if she would ever get to fight someone, when she was interrupted in the middle of her promo by someone else’s music.

It actually took Loki a second or two to realize that… it was Thor’s music. That was strange. Why would Thor appear when there was a Diva in the ring? He had no reason to be out there, did he? But Thor did appear on stage, a microphone already clutched in his right hand, and Loki tilted his head to the side. He wasn’t about to challenge Mystique for the Diva’s Championship, was he? Because while he did want Thor to be a champion, he wasn’t sure if he was desperate enough to encourage him to go for that one.

“I understand congratulations are in order,” Thor said as his music faded away, and flashed Mystique a polite smile as he remained over by the stage. “No matter how we all feel about our new champion, I think we can all agree that last night, Mystique and Black Widow put on one of the greatest matches the Diva’s division has ever seen.” There was some cheering from the audience at his last couple of words, though a lot of them seemed to be just as confused by Thor’s presence as he was.

“Thanks,” Mystique said. “That’s sweet of you to say, Thor, but why are you even out here? That long, fabulous hair aside, you are definitely not a Diva. Not this kind of diva, anyway.”

Thor gave her another wide smile, seemingly not at all bothered by her comment. “You’re right,” he said, and nodded his head. “I’m no Diva, and I am certainly not out here to challenge you.” He paused for a moment, and Loki leaned a little closer. “But someone else is.” There was another pause, and Loki rolled his eyes because now he was just going for a dramatic effect even though he could have just spit it out already. He heard some sounds coming from the audience again, and he assumed they were eager to find out what was going on.

“I have brought a dear friend of mine with me, someone who is eager to prove herself. You may have earned that championship, but she is more than willing to take it away from you. Trust me when I say… you will not be celebrating much longer. She is an accomplished fighter, and - more importantly - a better person than you ever will be. This is her first time here on Raw, and I suggest you all give a warm welcome to my very good friend…” There was already plenty of shouting coming from the audience, who must have figured out whom he was talking about. “Sif!”

And just like that, Sif’s music hit, and Loki just barely recognized it from the clip Thor had shown him. Thor stepped aside to allow Sif to walk over to the middle of the stage, and the two of them shared a brief look and a smile. After giving her a pat on the shoulder, Thor disappeared again, and Sif turned her eyes to the ring, a calm look on her face. Mystique gazed back at her, throwing the microphone away as she walked over to the ropes and challenged Sif to come closer.

“Show me what you’ve got!” she yelled.

Sif did walk over there, but the two of them didn’t have a very long match. Mystique left the ring and hurried up the ramp with her belt thrown over her shoulder after no more than a couple of minutes, but the time they did get was more than enough for Sif to show off some of her skills. And as much as Loki really didn’t want to admit it, she was good. He wasn’t exactly the best judge in the world of what a good wrestlers was supposed to be like, but he could just tell that there was something special about the way she moved around. It was an aggressive style, almost like she was one of the guys, and Loki liked it. But he would never admit that out loud. Instead, he spent the next couple of minutes wondering if Thor had told her about being bi. He would have to ask him the next time they talked, which would probably be later that night.

There was a tag team match coming up next, and Loki reached for his phone again, responding to a couple of emails while he threw a couple of glances at the TV until the match was over. They cut to behind the stage after that, and Loki quickly tossed his phone aside when he realized they were filming Thor walking through the dark and empty hallway. At first, he figured they were about to announce that his match was coming up next, but they said no such thing. Instead, the commentators remained silent, and Loki furrowed his brow as he wondered what was about to happen.

“Thor,” came a voice, and Thor quickly stopped walking, turning around only for a woman to step into frame. She had long, dark hair, and was dressed in a purple outfit, the bottom half barely covering everything it was supposed to. It was short, even by female wrestlers standards. Loki knew he had seen her before, but he couldn’t remember her name. She wasn’t on often enough for him to bother remembering it. Either way, she stepped closer to Thor, her hips swaying dangerously as she did.

“I heard you decided to bring Sif,” she said, and Thor nodded his head, somehow keeping his eyes on her face, even though her pushed up breasts were right there. .

“I did. Why, did you wish to meet her? I’m afraid you would have to challenge her to a match, Karnilla.” Karnilla shook her head, and gave him a big smirk. “All in good time. I’m coming for that championship, and not even your little friend will be enough to stop me.” She took another step closer to him, and Loki quickly decided he did not like the fact that she was practically pushing her large breasts against Thor’s chest.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Thor said. “She is good. One of the best I’ve seen in a while.”

“Is that so?” Karnilla tilted her head down, and gave him an almost coy look as she gazed up at him. “Do you like her more than me? We used to have such good times together, didn’t we?”

Thor let out a chuckle, and shook his head again, seemingly unaffected by what she was trying to do. “That was a long time ago. We’ve both moved on since then.”

“Have we?” Karnilla asked. “Are you sure about that?” She barely had time to finish her sentence before she had jumped forward, throwing her arms around Thor’s neck so that she could pull him down and press their lips together. There were screams coming from the audience, but Loki paid them no mind. Instead, he stared at the television screen, his jaw dropping as he watched the two of them go at it. Thor wasn’t even doing anything to stop her. He may not have seemed quite as enthusiastic, but he wasn’t pushing her away. With his strength, he easily could have. There was something sickening about seeing their lips pressed together, and Loki could have sworn he was about to throw up.

The kiss seemed to go on forever. By the time Thor finally pulled away from it, Loki was already wondering if he should just reach for the remote and turn it off. Thor gave Karnilla a surprised look, but she simply gave him a smile in return and brushed her fingers against his lips to make sure she hadn’t left any of her red lipstick on them before she stepped back. She winked at him and disappeared out of frame, and the camera stayed on Thor as he reached up and rubbed his own fingers against his lips, a perplexed look on his face. When they cut back to the ring Hawkeye was already standing there, waiting for his opponent, and Loki sunk back against the couch, realizing after a moment that he had his hands clenched into tight fists.

What. The. Fuck.

Why hadn’t Thor told him about this? Why hadn’t he warned him that he would be kissing someone else? He couldn’t possibly think that he actually wanted to see that, could he? If so, he was even more of an idiot than Loki had first thought. And why the hell had he seemed so excited to show him what would happen tonight? What a fucking asshole. Loki was practically seething for the next couple of minutes, watching the match without actually paying attention to it. When it was over, they cut back to the three guys on commentary, and Loki snapped out of it when they mentioned Thor’s name. They talked about what had just happened between Thor and Karnilla, and then they showed the damn kiss again. Loki quickly looked away this time and tried not to listen to the smacking of their lips. One of those three went on to explain what was coming up next, and Loki quickly turned his eyes back again when Thor wasn’t in either of those matches. Wait… What? He wasn’t in the next match, and he wasn’t in the main event. He wasn’t even going to have a fucking match? Then why had he told him to watch? Why had Loki snuck out from the office? To watch _this_? Loki couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this angry. It felt like something was boiling inside of him, the heat spreading through his body like a strong poison, and he quickly stood up from the couch, heading into the kitchen to get his ice cream out of the freezer.

When he came back, he sat down on the couch and glared over at the TV, showing one spoonful of ice cream into his mouth after the other. Fuck Thor. Fuck him, and fuck that woman. Karnilla. What a stupid name. He hated her. He hated her purple, stupid looking ring gear, and he hated her long, dark hair. He also couldn’t help but notice that it seemed like Thor had a type. Not that his hair was very long. Nothing like hers, anyway.

When Thor called him, two hours later, Loki was already in bed, and the ice cream was long gone. He stared at his phone for a long time, narrowing his eyes as he wondered if answering was a good idea. But then he couldn’t help himself, and he reached for it, not saying a word as he put it against his ear.

“Hey. I didn’t wake you did I?”

“No,” Loki said, surprised at the amount of restraint he was able to show. The fact that he hadn’t already shouted at Thor was nothing short of a miracle.

“So, did you watch it? Sif was great, wasn’t she?”

“I did watch it,” Loki said, and rolled over onto his back. “I’m not sure why, though. You didn’t even have a match. Was that all you wanted to show me? Sif?”

“Show you?” Thor sounded confused. “I told you I hoped you would watch it, and that you would find out what happened on NXT. I went over there to bring her up to the main roster. I didn’t tell you you needed to watch it.”

“It sounded like it was going to be exciting,” Loki pointed out, refusing to give in. “I left my job early because of that. And then all I get is you introducing Sif. And there was something else…” He paused for a moment and drummed his fingers against his chin as he pretended to think about it. “Oh, that’s right. I also got a kiss. And what a lovely kiss it was”

“Uh oh,” came Thor’s voice from the other end of the line. “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind.” He didn’t sound apologetic in the slightest, and Loki clenched his jaw, taking a deep breath before he spoke up.

“You didn’t think I would mind?” he asked, still forcing himself to think back, though not even counting to ten helped him calm down. He was too pissed for that to work right now. “I thought you were the one who wanted us to be exclusive?”

“You can’t possibly think this counts,” Thor tried to defend himself. “Loki, it was scripted. They told me to kiss her. Actually, they told her to kiss me. It’s not like I wanted to.”

“Are you sure about that?” Loki asked, unable to stop the words from coming out of his mind even though he knew it was stupid of him to even go there. If Amora had been present, she would have been trying to steal the phone away from him, just to stop him from making another mistake. “You looked like you were enjoying it.”

“Loki, this is crazy,” Thor said, and actually had the nerve to let out a chuckle.

“Is it?” Loki asked through gritted teeth. “Just answer me this, Thor, have you ever kissed her outside of work?”

There was a pause. A far too long one for Loki’s taste, before Thor finally answered him. This time he didn’t sound like he was anywhere close to letting out another chuckle. .

“Yes. I have. We were together. Our characters had… a little something going on a couple of months ago, and we grew to like each other quite a bit.”

“Did you sleep together?”

Again, another pause, and Loki knew the answer before Thor chose to finally give it to him.

“We did. But just a few times. It was never a big deal, Loki. We were just enjoying each other’s company.”

“Let me guess, you decided you were better off as friends?” Loki mocked him, and pushed himself up so that he was sitting up on the bed. Since Thor didn’t seem to have anything else to say to him at the moment, he reached for his pillow and put it down next to him, keeping it close just in case he would feel like punching it. “Is there anyone you haven’t slept with?”

“There are plenty of people I haven’t slept with. I’m not as irresistible as you seem to think I am. Besides, there’s not a lot of time for it.”

“But there are more you have slept with?” Loki insisted, still too stubborn to let the topic go. Perhaps it would be too much for him, but at the same time it was something he desperately needed to know, or else he would spend the rest of their time together wondering. “Tell me. Who else?”

“I don’t think this is the kind of thing you want to know,” Thor said. He paused for a moment, probably waiting for Loki to agree with him, or possibly change the subject, but when he didn’t budge, Thor let out a sigh. There was another pause, and Loki wondered just how much time he needed to remember who he had or hadn’t slept with. Could it really be that many? He understood that Thor was handsome, and charming, and that he was working closely with these people, but he had just assured him that the number wasn’t that high. Perhaps they simply had different ideas of what a high number of sexual partners would be?

Finally, Thor spoke up again, and Loki held his breath as he named the women he had been with.“Out of the current roster, I’ve slept with… Well, Sif, Karnilla, Storm… I think I’m forgetting someone. Oh, yeah. Emma.”

“So only women?” And only four. Though that was probably quite a high number, wasn’t it? How many people had slept with four of their co-workers? Loki certainly hadn’t. The very thought of it was repulsive, and almost made him want to throw up again. This was different, though. Thor didn’t have a normal job. He was on the road with these people. He spent more time with them than his own family. Did he even have any friends outside of wrestling? Of course something like this was bound to happen. Loki couldn’t believe he was actually defending it, but even he had to admit that this wasn’t such a strange thing. He wondered what it was like to work with someone you used to sleep with. Thor was working with four people he used to sleep with. Wasn’t it uncomfortable? What happened when he moved on to someone else? The rest of them couldn’t be okay with that, could they? Loki knew he would never have been okay with it. If Thor and he had been sleeping together, and also working together, and they had decided to end it, he probably would have had to quit. Especially if he was forced to watch Thor with other people.

“Yeah, of course. I could never risk sleeping with one of the guys.”

“Would you?” Loki asked once he had snapped out of his own thoughts. “If you could, is there anyone you would sleep with?”

“Loki,” Thor groaned loudly. “Can we please stop talking about this? Is this really the kind of thing you want to know about me?”

“We could always keep talking about that kiss,” Loki said with a shrug, and moved his hand to the pillow.

“You mean that scripted kiss.”

Loki huffed, and pushed the pillow away from himself. “Scripted or not, you should have told me. I don’t want to have to watch that. How would you feel if you saw me kissing someone else?” He probably would have been very jealous. Loki certainly hoped so, at least.

“Point taken. But to be fair, I really didn’t have time to tell you about it. I didn’t even know about it until a couple of minutes before the show. It kind of came out of nowhere. But if it happens again next Monday, I’ll make sure to warn you. Okay?”

Loki chose to stay quiet for a long moment, finding no reason to let Thor off the hook so quickly. He could suffer for another minute or two. He had to pay for that kiss one way or another. Besides, it gave Loki a chance to check the time and realize that he really needed to go to sleep. Soon. He couldn’t end the call just yet, though. He hadn’t finished making Thor suffer yet.

Thor must have realized as much, because he didn’t ask him to please say something. He simply waited for Loki to give him an answer.

“Okay,” he finally said, and rolled his eyes when he heard Thor let out a relieved sigh. He hoped he didn’t think he was finished making him suffer already. He would find a way to make him pay. Sooner or later.

“You know I’d much rather be kissing you, right?” Thor said, immediately distracting him from his thoughts and temporarily making him forget all about his revenge. “Maybe you should come on the show? I wouldn’t be able to tear my eyes away from you, and the rest of them would never stand a chance. I'm sure that would please you.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Loki told him, and made sure that his alarm was set before he lay back down again. “I have an early meeting tomorrow. But if you want to go ahead and think about me tonight, I suppose I won’t object.”

“Good to know,” Thor chuckled. "I might just do that."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. I've already broken my promise. I obviously didn't post anything last week. Unfortunately, real life got in the way. Sorry about that. But I'm already working on the next chapter, and I can (almost) promise that it'll be posted this week. Hopefully two chapters will make up for the lack of updates last week.

It was beginning to seem nearly impossible for the two of them to get together again. Thor had told him more than once that he was simply way too busy right now, and there wasn’t much Loki could do to change that. He just had to force himself to accept it. Since he refused to be the one to travel this time, he knew he would have to wait for Thor to finally realize that he just couldn’t stay away from him any longer. But was that day ever going to come? It annoyed him that Thor didn’t seem more eager to see him again. He should have been on a plane by now. He should have been trying harder. Loki did understand that Thor couldn’t skip shows he was supposed to attend, but he had to have at least some time off, right? There had to be a way for them to make this happen.

At least he still had Amora around to cheer him up. Not that he had a lot of time to spend with her either. Things were still crazy at work, but luckily they only had another week left before the deal would be finalized. He could hardly wait for it. He was tired of being tired. Every day, he returned home to his apartment feeling absolutely exhausted. This stupid deal really was pushing him to his very limits, and the only thing stopping him from giving up and switching careers was the fact that he knew he still had two people backing him up. He didn’t get a lot of chances to talk to Thor, though. Certainly not while he was at work. He was way too busy for that, and whenever he was home he was too tired to do much other than eat and sleep. They didn’t even have as much phone sex anymore. Thor didn’t seem to mind that either though, which made Loki wonder if he had simply turned to one of the many beautiful women he was surrounded by each day.

Ever since he had found out that Thor had slept with four of the women on the roster, he had began to wonder how he was supposed to trust him not to sleep with someone else. Or trust him not to sleep with either of those four women _again_. What was stopping him? Nothing. Nothing was stopping him from finding someone else to have sex with. Thor was a man. He had needs. So did Loki, but even if he would have wanted to hook up with someone else (which he had already proven he couldn’t bring himself to do) he just didn’t have the time for it. Thor didn’t need time. He didn’t need to go to a bar or a club to find someone willing to have sex with him. He could just grab one of those women after a show, drag her into an empty locker room somewhere, and fuck her brains out. The thought alone was more than enough to make Loki seeth, and he often had to glance at himself in the mirror to make sure there was no smoke coming out of his ears.

Loki knew he had no one to blame but himself. It was his own fault for bringing it up in the first place. He had asked Thor to tell him because he had felt like he needed to know, and now… Truth be told, he still believed it was better for him to know for sure how many people Thor had slept with. It saved him the agony of having to constantly guess whom he had or had not slept with. Not knowing would have made him paranoid. Though to be fair, he was still somewhat paranoid. Now that he knew whom Thor had slept with, he kept glaring at those women every time they were on screen. He wondered how many times Thor had slept with them. He wondered if he had touched them the way he had touched him. He wondered if he had shown the same enthusiasm as he thrust into them, bringing them closer to their-

Okay, so maybe it was getting to him. Maybe it was getting to him more than he would have liked it to. The thought of Thor being surrounded by people he’d slept with was slowly but surely going to drive him insane. Some nights, Loki wanted nothing more than to drive to the airport, get on a plane, fly all the way over to wherever Thor happened to be that day, and show up backstage just to stake his claim. He would wrap both arms and legs around Thor just to let everyone around them know that he belonged to him. And no one else.

Loki confused even himself with these thoughts, and he had to remind himself several times that Thor wasn’t actually his. They had decided to become exclusive, yes, but he had made damn sure to tell Thor that he did not want to be his boyfriend. He did not want this to be a relationship. As so, Thor was allowed to look at the women around him. He was even allowed to flirt with them. And since they weren’t in a serious relationship, Loki supposed that he was even allowed to change his mind about the two of them being exclusive. He wouldn’t be around if it came to that, though. Thor had to realize that Loki would never want him to have sex with someone else. If he had been okay with that, he never would have agreed to this whole exclusive business. Thor had been able to keep it in his pants so far, though. Perhaps there was no reason for him not to trust him? Thor had even been the one to bring up the possibility of the two of them being exclusive. Shouldn’t that count for something?

No matter what, Loki was lucky to have Amora around, who made sure that he didn’t think too much about this. When he told her that they only had a couple of days left before the deal would be over with, she was quick to inform him that they would have to get together and celebrate.

“Celebrate how, exactly?” Loki asked her suspiciously. He knew very well that Amora loved to drag him along to all sorts of things. Through the years, there had been everything from wine tastings to spa days, surprise trips to Vegas, and crashing other people’s parties. Granted, some of these things were nicer than others, but he really just wanted to make sure he was prepared for whatever she had in mind for him.

“Oh, don’t worry,” she told him. “Nothing huge. I was just thinking that we could get together next Thursday and watch Smackdown together. We haven’t watched any wrestling in ages. We could order pizza, since there’s no way you’ll actually cook, and then we’ll have some wine… and maybe gossip about Thor. What do you say?”

Loki actually thought it sounded like a good idea, and he even told her as much. He was too tired to go out. This whole month had been exhausting, and watching some shirtless men fight while enjoying some delicious pizza sounded amazing to him. And if he got to make Amora jealous and tease her that at least he got to have sex with someone like Thor, it would only make that day so much better.

That Wednesday, the contracts had finally been signed, everyone seemed to be pleased with the arrangement, and they could breathe again. It was such a relief to have it over with. When Loki came home that evening, he made himself a bath and spent almost an hour relaxing in the hot water. He only got up once he realized he was falling asleep, and barely had time to make it to the bed before he collapsed on it, snoring into his pillow a couple of minutes later.

He had the next four days off - something they apparently thought he deserved after the amount of work he had put into making this deal happen - and Loki was more than happy to spend the first day doing nothing at all. He sent Thor a text around lunchtime to ask him what he was up to, and got a response just a couple of minutes later, letting him know they were flying over to L.A.

‘I get to spend tomorrow at my place,’ Thor wrote back to him, and Loki let out a long, content sigh as he made himself comfortable on his couch.

‘It’s an incredible feeling.’

‘I agree. Should I call you tonight?’

Loki didn’t have to think about it before he wrote his response.

‘Yes.’

A couple of hours later, Amora finally showed up at his place, once again with a bottle of red wine in her hand.

“Let’s do this,” she said enthusiastically, and pushed past him to get into the living room. “You’ve ordered some food, right? I’m starving.”

Loki followed her into the living room, nodding his head as he reached for the remote and handed it over to her. “The pizza is on the way,” he said. “It should be here any minute.”

“Pizza and half naked men,” Amora mused, and smiled as she turned her eyes to the television screen, where some kind of food commercial was playing. Both of them quickly looked away from it.

“Could it get any better?” She drew her legs up against her chest as the theme song for Smackdown came on, and Loki quickly walked over and sat down next to her, pouring some wine into his glass and glancing over just in time to catch Thor’s face as the intro came to an end.

“We both get to stare at your boyfriend,” Amora pointed out, and leaned forward to clink her glass against his, raising her brows at him as she took a long sip of the wine. “How great is that?”

“Amazing,” Loki muttered, and threw her a quick glare when she wasn’t looking. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Amora spending the night making those kinds of jokes. He didn’t want her to stare at Thor, and he definitely didn’t want her to call him his boyfriend. They weren’t boyfriends. It was nice that she acknowledged that they had something going on, but did she have to use that word?

He slowly turned his eyes to the TV and sighed dramatically when Hulk’s music came on. “Now here’s someone I don’t need to see half naked,” he said, and Amora laughed in agreement.

“He doesn’t look horrible,” she said. “He’s just… not in the same shape as some of the other guys. But that’s his thing. He’s just… big.”

“I don’t care what his thing is,” Loki complained, and crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring the fact that he probably resembled a petulant child. “I’m just sick of him.” Mostly because he was still bitter about his feud with Thor, and the fact that he had managed to steal the Money in the Bank briefcase away from him. He was still carrying it around, looking like he thought he was the most important person in the world for having it. Or at least the most important person in the arena. And then the only thing that could have made this situation even worse happened. Stark joined him on stage, as always clad in a suit, and the two of them walked side by side to the ring. Stark looked just as smug as he always did, almost as if he was the one who had earned that briefcase. Loki was secretly hoping that Thor would come out there and kick both of their asses. But Thor didn’t come out. Someone else did, and Loki was forced to sit through what he thought was quite a boring match as he wondered when the food was going to arrive. He was starving. His stomach growled during the commercial break, and Amora chuckled at him as she reached over and patted his stomach.

When the show came back on, Thor was already standing in the ring, and Loki frowned, wondering why they had robbed him of his entrance. They were still playing his music, but why would they not show Thor walking out on stage? That was half the fun. He wanted to see him walk, and he wanted to see him pose. Now, he had clearly just gotten back down from the top rope, and he stretched his arms as he waited for his opponent to come out. Amora immediately wolf whistled, and Loki threw her another quick glare.

“He looks so good,” she said, and shook her head as if she simply couldn’t believe it. “Has he gotten bigger?” She furrowed her brow and leaned forward, and Loki looked down at the glass in her hand, which was threatening to spill red wine on his very expensive carpet. He cleared his throat, but she didn’t seem to notice, too entranced by the god that was currently standing in the middle of the ring.

“He has gotten bigger, hasn’t he? You should know, shouldn’t you?”

Loki frowned at her. “How? How could I possibly know that? You think he lets me know every time he successfully manages to make himself look even bigger than he already is?”

Amora shrugged, and Loki rolled his eyes at her before turning back to the TV once Thor’s opponent came out. The match was just about to start when the doorbell finally rang, and Loki groaned loudly. Worst timing ever. He slowly turned to Amora, who shook her head at him, refusing to look away from the match. “I’m not getting that. It’s your door.”

“Stupid pizza,” Loki pouted, and threw one last look at the TV before getting up and leaving the room.

“If you think I’m leaving this couch for the next couple of minutes you’re crazy,” Amora called out after him. “One of us should be able to enjoy the sight of your hot boyfriend.”

Loki was half tempted to run back into the living room and tackle her to the floor, possibly pressing a pillow against her face so that she wouldn’t be able to watch Thor a second longer. He was too hungry for that, though. Instead he walked over to the front door and pulled it open, stretching his hands out to get the pizza. And he did get the pizza, but the person delivering it didn’t exactly look like the typical pizza delivery guy.

“Thor,” he gasped, and stared at the man standing in front of him with wide eyes. He wasn't sure if this was really happening, or if it was just some dream he was having. What the hell was he doing there? How did he get to New York? _When_ did he get to New York? Loki had so many questions to ask, he didn’t know where to begin.

“Hello.” Thor smiled brightly at him, and Loki realized that he looked just as amazing as he had done the last time they had seen each other. His long, blond hair was once again pulled back in a messy bun, and those blue eyes sparkled as he stood there, probably waiting for him to say something. Loki simply continued to stare at him, opening and closing his mouth a couple of times before he attempted to speak. “But… We’re watching you on Smackdown right now. You’re in the ring”

“Which is taped on Tuesdays,” Thor reminded him with another grin, and Loki mentally told himself off because of course it was taped on Tuesdays. He knew that. He was just… How was he supposed to think when Thor was all of the sudden standing in front of him? How did he even know where he lived? Loki had never given him an exact address. And why had he been the one to deliver the pizza? 

Loki was confused, and surprised, and also a little turned on. He couldn’t help it. Amora might have been right. Thor did indeed look a little bigger. Not just his arms, but his chest as well. Though he wasn’t sure if Thor had actually gotten bigger, or if he had simply forgotten what he looked like. The only thing he did know was that he looked huge, though the jacket he wore was unfortunately covering up most of those bulging muscles.

“I don’t...” Loki began, and threw a quick glance over his shoulder. “I thought you were on your way to L.A.?”

“I lied,” Thor confessed, and gave him an almost guilty look as he shrugged his shoulders. Unlike Amora, he wasn’t doing anything to force his way inside his apartment. He just stood there, looking like a puppy waiting for permission to come inside and play. Loki threw another look over his shoulder, wondering if Amora could hear them. Probably not. If she could, she probably would have come over by now. Or maybe she was busy putting on some lipstick? If she was going to meet someone like Thor, he had a feeling she would want to look her best.

When he turned back to look at Thor again, the first thing he noticed was that the smile had disappeared from his lips. He was frowning at him, and Loki couldn't understand why. What had changed in the last couple of seconds? 

“Is this a bad time?” Thor asked, and Loki saw his eyes move to a spot somewhere over his left shoulder. At first, he thought for sure Amora had decided to find out what was taking him so long, but then Thor turned his eyes back to him again. “Look, I… I should have called you. I just wanted to surprise you, I guess. If you want me to leave, just say the word.”

Wait. Did Thor think he had company? Well, he did have company, but it was just Amora. From the sound of Thor’s voice, and the hesitant look on his face, it seemed like he thought there was a guy waiting for him on the couch. For a second - but only a second - Loki considered letting Thor think that. Thor had managed to make him feel jealous. Why couldn’t he do the same? But then he realized that he had the chance to spend the night with Thor, and he wasn’t going to let that chance slip out of his grasp.

“It’s not what you think,” he said, and let out a sigh as he took a small step back. “Amora’s here. I wasn’t planning on introducing the two of you so soon, but unless you want to hide in the kitchen while I try to get rid of her…” He shook his head, and motioned for Thor to come inside, inhaling the smell of his cologne as he stepped past him. Thor put down the bag he had been carrying, and gave him an expectant look. Once he had taken a deep breath to prepare himself for whatever was about to happen, Loki made sure that Thor followed him as he returned to the living room. A quick glance at the TV informed him that the match was still going, and Amora leaned forward as she watched it.

“It’s about time,” she said, refusing to look away from the match. “I think your boyfriend’s going to win this one.”

Loki cringed at her words and turned his eyes to Thor, who was watching Amora with his eyebrows raised. There was a small smile playing on his lips, and he didn’t look the least bit offended or bothered by what she had just said. Loki slowly put the pizza down on the coffee table and cleared his throat.

“Amora.”

“What?” she asked, sounding annoyed as she finally stopped paying attention to the match and looked over at him. A second later, her gaze turned to Thor, and her mouth immediately dropped open. She turned her eyes from the Thor standing in Loki’s living room to the Thor who was currently climbing up the ropes, and then back again, shaking her head as her eyes widened considerably.

“Holy fuck,” she said breathlessly, and Thor let out a muffled chuckle. She continued to stare at him for a long moment, slowly bringing her feet down to the floor, before she turned to glare at Loki. “Loki, what the fuck? A little warning would’ve been nice.”

“I didn’t know he was coming,” Loki immediately defended himself, and she raised her brows.

“So he came to surprise you?” Amora tilted her head to the side as she considered it, and Loki could have sworn she was about to start cooing any second now. “That’s sweet.” She pushed herself up from the couch and gave the television screen another brief look before she took a step closer to Thor. “Hi. I’m Amora. I’m sure Loki’s told you all about me. For the record, I’m the one who dragged him to his first wrestling match, so this would never have happened if it wasn’t for me.” And she looked awfully proud of herself for making it happen, even though she wasn’t the one who had brought them together. Some random angry driver in Jersey had.

“And I’m also the one trying to make him see reason about ninety percent of the time. If he ever says or does something out of character, like apologizing or telling you that he likes you, it probably came from me.”

Loki clenched his jaw at her words and tried to to think of a good way to shut her up, but Thor gave her a smile and stepped forward to shake her hand. Her eyes widened once more, and Loki wasn’t sure if it was from the touch alone, the size of Thor’s hand, or the fact that he was so fucking strong. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Thor said, and Amora nodded her head as the two of them let go and took a step back. Loki immediately moved closer to Thor, putting himself next to him as he wondered what would happen now.

“You know, the two of you make a really good looking couple,” Amora observed as she watched them, and Loki gritted his teeth this time, narrowing his eyes at her in the hopes that she would understand that she couldn’t say things like that. After all, he would be the one having to deal with all of it later. “Really, you do. I think you complement each other. You should keep that in mind if you ever decide to stop pretending there’s nothing going on here and just go with it.”

Loki glanced over at Thor again, who still had an amused look on his face, as if he couldn’t believe he was actually hearing any of this. Loki wondered if he should tell Amora to shut the hell up before she ruined the night. He was just about to try, but was interrupted by the sound of Thor’s music. All three of them turned their eyes to the screen. He’d just won the match, and was now climbing up the ropes again to pose with his fist raised towards the sky.

“What did you think of the match?” Thor asked Amora, who shrugged her shoulders, seemingly having recovered incredibly quickly from her initial shock.

“I thought it was good. I obviously missed your finish, but I liked what I saw. You really sold his clothesline and powerbomb very well, and your dropkick from the ropes was amazing.”

Loki blinked at her. Since when did she get so technical when she talked about wrestling? She usually never used the actual terms, she just talked about how great they were and how hot they looked. Thor looked  pleased by it, though, and Loki decided to leave them to it.

“Can I get you a glass of wine?” he asked Thor, who seemed to hesitate a moment before he nodded his head.

“Sure,” he said. “I’m not wrestling tonight. I guess I could have one glass.”

Loki picked up the bottle before turning around and leaving the room, listening to Amora going on about the match as he headed into the kitchen. Once he was alone, he let out a deep breath and opened one of the cabinets to get another glass, carefully pouring some wine into it. He didn’t return to the living room right away, though. Instead, he put his hands against the counter and leaned forward, closing his eyes as he took another deep breath. He wasn’t sure how to feel. It was surreal to have Thor here in his apartment. Those days spent in that hotel room had felt like some kind of wonderful fantasy, and to have Thor in his home immediately made it all seem so real. He wondered if he would be able to get through the night, listening to Amora and Thor talk about wrestling. What if Amora said something else? What if she managed to scare Thor off? Loki knew she (mostly) meant well, but it was unnerving to listen to her talk about the two of them looking like a good couple when Thor was around to hear it. Loki didn’t want her to put any ideas into his head, especially not when he didn’t know how he was supposed to feel about any of this.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there when he heard footsteps behind him, and he barely had time to prepare himself before a pair of big arms were wrapped around his waist. He stiffened for a moment, but relaxed as soon as Thor spoke up, that deep voice sounding like music to his ears.

“Pizza’s going to get cold unless we eat it soon,” Thor pointed out, and Loki shuddered as he felt his hot breath against the side of his neck. “You know, I was kind of hoping I would find you alone,” Thor continued, and Loki closed his eyes again, leaning back against his firm chest. It felt like no time at all had passed. Suddenly he could remember exactly how it felt to have Thor’s arms around him, how good it made him feel, and he wished he could have told Amora to get the hell out of his apartment without offending her.

Thor slowly used his hands on him to turn him around, but Loki kept his eyes closed. He didn’t want to see the look in his eyes, knew that it would probably make it that much harder not to ask Thor to fuck him right there against the counter. He couldn’t stop himself from leaning closer, though, and he tilted his head up as he slipped his arms around Thor’s neck. Their lips met, and the groan that came from Thor sent a shiver down Loki’s spine as he pulled him closer. He had barely had time to part his lips when they were interrupted by a loud cough, and the two of them quickly pulled away from each other. Amora was leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest, looking very much like the cat that got the cream. “Oh, by all means,” she said. “Don’t stop on my account. That was kind of hot. But as much as I’d like to stay and watch the two of you touch each other like two people who haven’t been getting any in years… I think I’m just gonna go.”

“You don’t have to,” Loki said, though his eyes were telling her to please leave, preferably as quickly as possible.

Amora snorted. “It’s fine,” she said. “You boys have fun.” She turned around to leave, but then changed her mind and turned back again. “Oh, and Thor? Loki said some not very nice things to me a while ago. Why don’t you do me a favor and give him a good spanking? He deserves one.” She winked at them both before leaving the room, and the two of them were left standing in silence as the front door closed behind her.

“You’ll have to excuse her,” Loki muttered. “She was dropped on her head as a child.”

“I like her,” Thor said with a chuckle, and Loki’s face fell. Thor must have noticed, because he quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to his chest again. “So, now that we’re alone,” he began, but didn’t finish the rest of his sentence before bringing their lips back together. Loki moved his hands to Thor’s chest, but felt like he was being blocked by the stupid jacket Thor was still wearing. Luckily, Thor pulled the zipper all the way down and took it off without breaking the kiss once.

They didn’t pull back until the lack of air was starting to become a problem. Feeling slightly out of breath, Loki took a moment to collect himself. He was just about to lean in for another kiss when he happened to glance down at the shirt Thor was wearing, and realized that it wasn’t just any shirt. He raised an eyebrow at Thor, who shook his head with a laugh.

“Don’t judge me, okay?” he said, and took a small step away from him. “I was at this thing, and they wanted us to wear our shirts. You can have it, if you want.”

Loki shook his head. “I already have one,” he said.

“You have my shirt? Really?” When Loki confirmed it with a nod of his head, Thor gave him a surprised look. “I didn’t think you’d have it.” He seemed pleasantly surprised by it, though, and Loki gave him a small smirk.

“Maybe I’ll wear it sometime.”

“I think you should,” Thor agreed, and stepped closer to him again. “So. Where’s the bedroom?” Loki turned around to lead the way, but came to a quick halt when Thor for some reason decided to grab his hand. He let his eyes fall, and hesitated for a moment before he kept walking, leading Thor through the living room and over to his bedroom. Luckily, he had cleaned it earlier that day, and the dark green bedspread now matched the curtains framing the large windows.

“Should I pick you up again?” Thor asked with a grin on his face as they approached the bed, and Loki rolled his eyes at him.

“Let’s not make that a thing,” he told him, and watched as Thor kicked off his shoes.

“Fair enough. And what about the spanking? I wouldn’t want to disappoint your friend.”

Loki pressed his lips together as Thor neared him, and leaned away from him as much as he could when Thor wrapped his arms around him. “Don’t you dare,” he said.

“So spanking’s off the table?”

Loki sighed. “I’m not saying we can never do it, but right now we have other things to get to.” And he didn’t want to waste any more time. They hadn’t had phone sex in over a week, and he was desperate for some release. Now that he had Thor here to take care of that for him, he was going to take advantage of every moment they had together.

“Then tell me what you want,” Thor said, and brushed his thumbs against his hips. “I know you’ve been working really hard these last few weeks. You deserve a break. Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you.”

“I want you to fuck me,” Loki said, not even taking a second to consider it. “I want you to fuck me so hard, I’ll forget about everything else.” That was what he needed. He needed Thor to make him focus on nothing but his big cock pushing into him. After spending such a long time concentrating on nothing but work, he knew that was exactly what would make him feel better.

“As you wish,” Thor said, and leaned in for another kiss. He used his hands on his hips to push him closer to the bed, and Loki let himself fall back on it, tugging on Thor’s arm to make him follow. He let out a satisfied groan once he had the bulk of Thor on top of him, pressing him into the mattress. It was easy for Thor to cage him in with those big arms of his, and even though there was a part of Loki that knew he should have felt like a trapped animal, he couldn’t help but enjoy it. He moved his hands to the hem of Thor’s shirt and tugged on it, humming in approval once Thor took the hint and pulled it off, revealing that tanned skin Loki had missed so much.

“I think Amora might be right,” he murmured, and let the tips of his fingers ghost against Thor’s chest. “You _have_ gotten bigger.”

“I think you’re both crazy,” Thor chuckled, and pulled him up a bit so that he could remove his shirt as well. Once he’d tossed it aside, he turned his eyes to his chest, and Loki held his breath when he saw a tiny frown form on his face. Unlike Thor, he had not gotten any bigger lately. In fact, he had not been eating as much as he should have these last few weeks, and he knew it showed. He had always been slim, but after skipping so many meals he must have lost a bit of weight, and it wasn’t very flattering on him. For a moment, he was scared Thor would interrupt what they were about to do and give him a lecture on how important it was to eat properly - as if Loki didn’t already know it had been stupid of him not to eat. Luckily, Thor seemed to decide not to mention it, probably realizing it would have ruined the mood. Loki was incredibly grateful for that, and pulled him down for another kiss to thank him.

“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” Thor whispered against his lips, and Loki moved his arms around his neck, pressing his fingers into his back.

“Show me,” he murmured in between kisses, wrapping his legs around Thor’s waist and grinding up against him as much as he could. “Show me how much.”

Thor shut him up by deepening the kiss, slipping his tongue past his parted lips and forcing a muffled moan out of him. His warm hands moved to his chest, and Loki let slip another moan into the kiss when Thor brushed his thumbs against his already stiff nipples. He tweaked one of them between his fingers and Loki arched into the touch, telling Thor without words that he wanted more.

It didn’t take long for Thor to move on, though, and Loki held his breath in anticipation when he unzipped his pants and pulled them off. Soon enough, they were left in nothing but their underwear, and Thor grabbed Loki’s waist in a firm grip and rolled their hips together, causing them both to moan. With only two pieces of fabric separating them, Loki could feel Thor’s thick cock rubbing against his own, and his heart was hammering against his chest as he waited for Thor to continue. What friction he did get was amazing, but he needed more. He _craved_ more, and Thor was thankfully nice enough to give it to him. He slipped his hand inside his boxers, palming his cock and making Loki thrust his hips up to get as much friction as possible.

He let out a pitiful whine when Thor moved his hand away again, but remained silent as he used it to pull his boxers down. Once again, he was the first one to be naked, and he threw Thor a playful glare before he removed his own boxers as well. Loki bit his lip to stifle the gasp that threatened to escape, still not quite used to the sight of Thor’s cock. Neither of them was fully hard yet, but Thor quickly took care of that by rubbing their cocks together, both of them groaning and sighing as they moved their bodies together.

“Lube,” Loki muttered, too busy focusing on the pleasure he was feeling to form a complete sentence. “Over there.” He pointed over at his bedside table, and Thor pulled away from him and crawled closer to it, pulling the drawer open and tossing him the bottle. Loki could see him reaching for something else, and he pushed himself up a little bit, frowning until Thor threw a condom on the bed. As he moved back, Loki quickly spread his legs for him again, challenging him with a look.

“Come on then,” he said, and brushed his own dry fingers against his entrance, which fluttered at the touch. He could see Thor swallow, and he smirked. “Don’t make me wait for you.”

Thor fumbled with the lube, and he seemed to be having some trouble getting the bottle open, which made Loki snicker. This was too good to be true, wasn’t it? All of it. Thor was here with him. He had chosen to fly all the way over  just to surprise him, because he had missed him. Or because he just couldn’t wait for them to have sex again. Either way, Loki was fine with it. After these last couple of weeks, he felt like he desperately needed this.

When the first finger breached him, he didn’t bother holding back a moan, arching into it as Thor pressed inside. The pace was much too slow for him, and it did not take long before he asked for a second one. Thor complied, and Loki hissed at the stretch. He reached down to wrap a hand around himself, tugging at his own cock as Thor continued to stretch him open.

“You’ve been waiting for this, haven’t you?” Thor asked, using his free hand to spread his legs even wider. Loki was sure he must have looked obscene - on his back, legs spread wide for Thor, his forehead slick with sweat and his cheeks flushed. He wondered if Thor realized just how lucky he was to see him like this. He felt like he was letting his guard down, and that was something that did not happen often these days.

“Just get on with it,” Loki muttered, and let out a sharp gasp when a third finger was pushed inside of him. His thighs were beginning to tremble, and he realized that he would have to find a way to convince Thor that he didn’t need any more stretching, that he was ready to be fucked. “Come on, Thor,” he said, and looked up at him with pleading eyes. “I’m ready, just do it." He licked his lips. "Please,” he added, knowing that the word was bound to spur Thor into action. And it did. Thor pulled his fingers back out again and gave Loki a quick smile, but when he reached for the condom Loki pushed himself up and put a hand on his arm.

“Don’t,” he said, and shook his head when Thor met his eyes.

“Are you sure?” Thor asked, frowning at him as he cupped the back of his neck with his hand. The touch was an unexpected one, and the shudder running through him was more pleasurable than anything else he had felt that night. So far.

“I’m sure,” Loki said, and let go of Thor’s wrist before placing himself on his back once more. He knew that he was clean, and he also knew that if Thor wasn’t, he would have said something by now. Since he let go of the condom and reached for the lube instead, it seemed like they were both fine. They would finally get to do this.

As he watched Thor slick himself up, he suddenly wondered if he had done this with a lot of other people. He knew Thor had had plenty of sex, but how many of them had been able to enjoy it without a condom? He was hardly the first one. Obviously Loki had been with other partners as well, but for some reason the thought of Thor doing this with anyone else was making him insanely jealous. It was like a terrible fire burning deep inside of him, and every thought was simply adding fuel to it. He thought of Sif, and Karnilla, and… Who else had Thor slept with on that roster? He could barely remember, and yet it felt like it was eating him alive.

“Hey.” Thor’s sharp voice finally snapped him out of his thoughts, and Loki blinked a couple of times before he turned his eyes up to meet his. “You still with me?”

He was sure Thor could tell that he was having unpleasant thoughts. He didn’t feel nearly as aroused as he had done a minute ago, and his eyes were probably more green than black as he gazed up at him. Thor gave him a confused look and reached out to cup his chin, tilting his head up as he locked their eyes together. The two of them simply stared at each other for a long moment, Thor trying to figure out what he was thinking about, and Loki trying his hardest to hide it.

“Tell me what you’re thinking about,” Thor asked him, but Loki shook his head to get rid of Thor’s hand on his chin and nearly snarled at him.

“Just fucking do it, Thor. You came here for one thing, and one thing only, so do it.” He could tell by the look on Thor’s face that he shouldn’t have said that. His eyes darkened considerably, though surely not from arousal, and he clenched his jaw as he moved himself between his still spread legs.

“Is that what you think?” he asked, his gaze fierce as he gripped his hips so hard there would probably be bruises in the morning. “You think the only reason I came here was to fuck you?”

Loki refused to say anything else. He kept his lips pressed tightly together, giving Thor a defiant look, a look that quickly disappeared from his face the moment Thor lined himself up and pushed in. Loki let out a surprised cry, hands grasping desperately at Thor’s shoulders. Even though he seemed angry, Thor still gave him a moment to adjust, but Loki didn’t want it. He wrapped his legs around Thor’s waist and dug his heels into his ass. He tried to push his own hips up, but Thor was holding him down and refused to let go, and there was nothing Loki could do about it. He felt completely powerless, and somehow he could not have been more turned on by it.

“Damn you,” he hissed. “Move, Thor. Fucking move, I can take it.”

To his surprise, Thor actually obeyed him, and Loki yelped at the sudden thrust. He tightened his grip on Thor’s shoulders, holding on for dear life as Thor wasted no time before setting a furious pace. Loki could do nothing to stop the moans and sighs that slipped past his lips, and he closed his eyes in a desperate attempt to collect himself, but Thor immediately told him off for it.

“Look at me,” he said, and Loki slowly opened his eyes again.

“I should have had you on your hands and knees,” Thor growled, and hoisted his legs up, easily moving them so that Loki’s calves were thrown over his shoulders as he continued to pound into him. “Look at you, spreading your legs so willingly, giving me everything I want. You think that’s it, right? Well, I’ve got news for you, Loki. If all I wanted was a tight hole to fuck, I wouldn’t have had to fly all the way over here.”

Loki knew that, of course. He knew that this - more than anything - was proof of the fact that Thor wanted something more than just sex. Unless the sex between them had really been that amazing. That’s what he had wanted, right? He had wanted to show Thor just how amazing they could be together in bed, and if that was the only reason Thor was staying with him, he only had himself to blame, didn’t he? 

“Stop thinking,” Thor told him through gritted teeth, and Loki was just about to respond to him, but cut himself off at a particularly well aimed thrust that immediately had him moaning loudly. Once Thor realized that he had found the right angle, he made sure that practically every thrust had Loki seeing stars. If Thor wanted him not to think, he was certainly going about it the right way. There was no way for him to think of anything other than Thor’s cock stretching him open, his hard grip on his hips, and the piercing look in his eyes. It was almost more than he could take. Loki tried to reach for his own cock to give himself the release he so desperately needed, but Thor’s hand were on his wrists in a flash, pinning both of his arms above his head.

“Please, Thor,” Loki whined, not caring if he had to beg for it. He could regret that some other time. “Please touch me. Please, I need…”

“I know what you need,” Thor assured him. “But you don’t get to come. Not until you’ve admitted that this is about more than just sex.”

Loki wondered if Thor realized how ironic it was that he would tell him such a thing when he was in the middle of fucking him. He couldn’t bring himself to ask him, though, not when Thor was so easily turning him into a moaning, almost sobbing mess. He needed so desperately to come, but he knew Thor wasn’t joking. There was no way he would let him come if he didn’t actually say it.

“I hate you,” he groaned, and strangely enough he could see the corner of Thor’s lips twitch, threatening to turn into a smile.

“That’s not what I told you to say,” Thor reminded him, managing another well aimed thrust that had Loki moaning as his hips rose to meet Thor’s.

“Say it, Loki. Say it, and I’ll let you come.”

But Loki didn’t say it. Instead he simply begged for Thor to go harder, faster, deeper. Anything but the words he knew Thor wanted from him. He was so close to coming. He only needed a little more to finally get there, and he moved his own hips to make sure that Thor hit the same spot each time he thrust inside, trying to bring himself off that way. But all of a sudden, Thor pulled out completely, and Loki whined at the loss, glaring up at Thor as he tried to use his legs to get him to come back.

“Sorry, Loki,” Thor breathed. “But you heard me. I’m not doing this until you say it.” The two of them glared at each other, and Loki wondered what would be worse. Admitting to Thor that he knew this was about more than just sex, or not getting to come. His neglected cock twitched against his stomach, and Loki sighed.

“I hate thinking about it,” he said, not sure why he was revealing this instead of simply telling Thor what he wanted to hear. “I hate thinking about… the others. And I want to believe that this is… that this is different, but what if…” He trailed off, and didn’t get a chance to continue before Thor had pushed back inside, pulling another surprised gasp out of him.

“That’s all in the past, Loki,” Thor told him, and held still for a moment as he let go of his wrists and moved his hand back to his hip. “I’m with you right now. I’m here because I want to be here. I told you last time that I like you, and that hasn’t changed, no matter how frustrating you can be.”

Loki decided to hit his shoulder for that, and Thor let out a soft chuckle before he began to move again, slowly building up to the same pace he had used before. Now that Loki had is hands free, he wasted no time before wrapping his fingers around his cock, stroking himself in time with Thor’s powerful thrusts. It didn’t take long before he was coming, hole spasming around Thor’s cock as he moaned his name. Thor fucked him through it, and was still moving by the time it was over. Even though he was exhausted, Loki managed to concentrate on Thor, encouraging him by pushing himself closer. 

“Do it, Thor,” he breathed. “Do it, come in me, mark me-”

Thor slammed himself inside one last time, groaning so loudly it was closer to a yell as he came, his hips stuttering as he emptied himself inside of him. Loki let out another weak moan when he was filled, his fingers digging into Thor’s shoulders when the other collapsed on top of him. For a long moment, the two of them said nothing. They simply stayed that way, breathing heavily as they thought about what had just happened.

Eventually, Thor pulled out of him, and Loki squirmed when he could feel his come running down the inside of his thigh. Thor lay down next to him, letting out a heavy sigh before he reached out to brush his fingers against his cheek.

“Are you okay?” he asked, and Loki slowly turned his head to look at him, giving him a short nod.

“I’m fine,” he said. “I’m…” He cut himself off, and tried to turn away again, but Thor used his hand on his cheek to keep their eyes locked together.

“You’re what?” 

Loki gave him a long look, silently arguing with himself before he finally opened his mouth again. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Maybe he should have regretted those words, but he didn't. He couldn't possibly. Not when Thor gave him the biggest, brightest smile he had ever seen. 

"So am I."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I did it. I kept my promise. Two chapters in one week. Who saw that coming?

Waking up the next morning was a somewhat surreal experience. It obviously wasn’t his first time waking up with Thor’s arms wrapped tightly around him, but this time they weren’t in some random hotel room. They were in his bedroom. This was his bed, his sheets, and his pillows. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had allowed someone to sleep in this bed. Well, Amora had done it once or twice when she’d been too tired or too drunk to make it back to her place, but he had never had sex with her. And she had never been this close to him. If she would’ve tried to put her arms around him, he was pretty sure he would have pushed her out of the bed.

Going by the light snoring coming from behind him, he assumed Thor was still sleeping, and Loki raised his head a bit to glance over at his alarm clock. It was only seven. He wasn’t going to get up that early, not when he had the day off, and not when he would have to remove himself from Thor in order to do it. He was so warm. Even though the room itself was relatively cool, Thor somehow still managed to radiate heat. Normally, it was something that probably would have bothered him, but since it was Thor he was willing to accept it. He did move one of his big arms away from him, though, and slowly pushed himself up. He glanced out the window, rubbing at his eyes as he wondered how long Thor would be staying. They hadn’t exactly had a chance to discuss that yet. It hadn’t taken long for them to fall asleep, and before that… Loki reached between his legs and moved his fingers against his opening. He shuddered as he remembered what it had felt like to have Thor come inside of him, and he smiled to himself as he glanced down at the man in question. He looked less intimidating like this. Not that he ever looked particularly intimidating around him, but whenever he was in the ring he tended to look like a huge, threatening, and incredibly hot wrestler. Now, though, he simply looked like… Well, he still didn’t look like a guy Loki could have picked up at just any bar. He was too big, and his hair was too long, and he… There was just something special about him. He also looked incredibly peaceful as he slept, as if nothing could possibly bother him.

Loki quickly decided that he didn’t need to go back to sleep right away. They had spent a couple of days together by now, but he had never been given a chance to study Thor without the fear of being caught. He slowly let his gaze travel from Thor’s messy hair - which was still pulled back in that damn bun - to those long, dark lashes, and then to that beard, which tended to scratch his skin every time Thor tried to kiss him. Loki couldn’t decide if he liked it or not. And speaking of kisses, his gaze was quickly drawn to those pink lips. Those lips that always felt perfect against his body, no matter which part of it they were planted to. His ass, cock, or lips - either way, they were amazing.

And then there was his chest. Oh, how he loved that broad, muscular chest. Loki had read quite a bit of poetry as a teenager, but he was quite certain he had never come across anything that could possibly describe the way he felt when he looked at Thor’s chest. It was perfect, as if someone had sculpted his body out of clay. Yes, yes, Loki realized he was getting a little too romantic, but he couldn’t help it. With that long hair and perfect body, Thor really did look like he could have stepped right out of some cheesy romance novel.

Loki reached out and brushed his fingers against Thor’s abs, gently tracing every single bump. Thor grunted, but didn’t move, nor did he open his eyes. As he continued to watch him, Loki considered pulling the blanket away and giving himself a moment to stare at Thor’s dick as well. The only problem was that he knew he would want to wake Thor up with a blowjob if he spent too long staring at him. That probably didn't seem like much of a problem. Normally, it wouldn’t have been, but right now he really wanted to get some more sleep. With a sigh, he forced himself to pull his hand away and lay back down again, snuggling closer to Thor before closing his eyes and willing himself to relax.

The next time he woke up, he was quick to notice that Thor was no longer in bed with him. Loki opened his eyes, furrowing his brow as he looked around. He hadn’t left, had he? What if Thor had decided that he'd already gotten what he came for and left? But no. His clothes were still there. As he sat up on the bed, Loki could see Thor’s pants and shirt on the floor. Maybe he was in the bathroom? No, wait. Loki sniffed a couple of times. He could smell something. It smelled like… food. Curious, Loki pushed the blanket aside and stood up from the bed, quickly finding a clean pair of boxers. He was just about to leave the room when his eyes fell on Thor’s shirt. He stopped, and bent down to pick it up, hesitating for only a couple of seconds before he put it on. It was big on him, which was no surprise. It had even been big on Thor, probably a couple of sizes bigger than what he was supposed to wear, and it reached all the way down to Loki’s thighs when he tugged at it. It almost made him feel silly to be wearing it, but he made up his mind and left the bedroom, following the smell of food until he reached the kitchen. Thor was standing by his stove, wearing a pair of blue sweatpants he must have brought with him. Loki leaned against the doorframe as he watched him, shaking his head before he stepped closer.

“What are you doing?” he asked, and Thor threw a quick look over his shoulder.

“Cooking for you. I was hoping to surprise you with breakfast in bed, but I guess that’s out.”

Loki stopped behind Thor and peered over his shoulder to get a look at what was in the pan. Pancakes. Well, wasn’t that sweet? Loki wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel about that. He was flattered, he supposed, but also a bit confused.

“Shouldn’t I be making you pancakes?” he asked, and Thor shrugged his shoulders as he reached for the spatula.

“I just thought I’d do something for you since you were nice enough to let me stay the night. Besides, I know how hard you’ve been working, and I…” Thor trailed off as soon as he turned around and got a proper look at him. He raised his brows. “What are you wearing?” he asked, his eyes wide as he looked him up and down. “Is that my shirt?”

“I suppose it is,” Loki said, and gave him a nonchalant shrug as he glanced down at it. “I thought I might look good in it. What do you think?” As if he couldn’t already tell from the way Thor was staring at him - eyebrows raised and jaw slack.

“I think that’s the hottest thing I have ever seen,” Thor said breathlessly, and let go of the spatula so that he could wrap his arms around Loki and pull him in for a kiss. “Bedroom,” he growled against his lips, and Loki easily wrapped his legs around Thor’s hips when he was hoisted up. “Now.”

“But Thor,” Loki interrupted him, faking concern even though he had gotten exactly what he wanted. “What about the pancakes?”

“Screw the pancakes,” Thor said, but made sure to turn everything off before he carried Loki into the bedroom. Once they were back on the bed, Loki tried to reach up and remove the shirt, but Thor grabbed his wrists to stop him.

“Leave it on,” he told him, and Loki arched a brow but said nothing, instead opting to use his grip on Thor to turn them around so that he was on top.

“I just think you should get a good view of it,” he pointed out as he reached for the lube, and Thor didn't protest. The shirt was the reason they were back in there, after all.

He let Thor watch as he prepared himself, fucking himself on his own fingers as he asked him how much he wanted this, even though Thor's arousal was obvious. It didn’t take long before Loki run out of patience, though, and soon enough he was tossing the lube aside. Thor helped him get into position, and both of them groaned loudly as he sank all the way down. He placed his hands on Thor’s chest and took a couple of deep breaths, allowing himself a moment to get used to the intrusion before he pushed himself back up. Thor watched him intently the entire time, his eyes more black than blue as he put his hands on his hips to help him move. Loki rode him with abandon, getting off not just on the fact that he had Thor’s cock inside of him, but also on the way he was being watched. Thor was watching him as though he was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, as though he was amazed he by how lucky he was to be here.

Loki let out moans of approval and muttered encouragements as he continued to rise and fall, asking Thor if he enjoyed watching him, even though he already knew the answer. Once Thor wrapped his fingers around his cock, it didn’t take Loki much longer before he was coming, letting out a loud gasp followed by a curse as he proceeded to ride out his orgasm. Thor quickly followed him, and Loki let out a broken moan when he was filled up once more, Thor’s strong hands on his hips the only thing keeping him up long enough for Thor to finish emptying himself inside of him before he slumped against his chest.

“We really need to do that again,” Thor breathed, and Loki silently agreed with him, too exhausted to utter a single word.

It took them half an hour to gather enough strength to leave the bed, and Loki rolled his eyes at the smug look on Thor’s face when he noticed he had some trouble sitting down.

“It’s not bothering you, is it?” Thor asked as he threw the old pancakes out and proceeded to make another batch.

“Nothing I can’t deal with,” Loki answered him, but winced when he tried to make himself comfortable. “Perhaps it’s a good thing you’re not here to fuck me every day.”

“And here I was just thinking it’s such a shame,” Thor teased, and stepped over to him, leaning down to give him a kiss. As he turned back to the pancakes, Loki glanced down at Thor’s shirt, which he had decided to keep wearing. This situation was unfamiliar to him. He had slept with plenty of guys these last few years, and he’d even had a couple of brief relationships, but he couldn’t remember the last time someone had insisted on making him pancakes. It seemed so… domestic. Loki cringed at the thought, and turned his eyes back to Thor, who whistled as he worked on putting together two rather large stacks of pancakes. Were all wrestlers like this? Were they all so desperate for something that resembled an actual home, they were willing to make it happen with the first person they met?

Loki was still thinking about it when Thor joined him at the table, and he blinked once, twice, before he reached for the syrup.

“What?” Thor asked, who must have noticed that something was bothering him. Again.

“Nothing,” Loki assured him, and shook his head. “So,” he said as he handed the bottle over to Thor. “How long are you planning on staying?”

“Already thinking about getting rid of me?” Thor asked, but his voice was light and there was a smile on his face. When Loki didn’t answer him, Thor let out a quick sigh and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t have a show to get to. There’s Raw on Monday, but that’s it. I don’t know if I should stay that long, though. I’ll probably leave tomorrow.”

Loki nodded his head. That sounded like a plan to him, but that also meant they had this whole day to spend together, and he wondered what Thor wanted to do. Did he want to spend the day in bed, or did he have something else in mind? As long as he didn’t have to deal with Thor’s cock in his ass for the next couple of hours, Lok was up for the bed option. There were other ways of getting each other off, after all.

“Then what would you like to do today?” he asked, and finally took a bite of one of the pancakes, forcing himself to hold back the pleased sound he so desperately wanted to make as he waited for Thor’s response.

“I’m not sure,” Thor said in between bites. “Maybe we could go for a walk? I haven’t been to Central Park in a really long time.”

Loki tilted his head to the side. That’s what he wanted to do? He wanted them to go for a walk? They hadn’t seen each other in weeks, they finally had a whole day together, and Thor wanted them to go outside? What was wrong with him? Why didn’t he want to spend time just the two of them? Why would he want to involve other people? And why Central Park? Surely they could have gone somewhere else? They could have gone shopping. Thor did owe him a shirt. Whatever. Loki didn’t get it, but if this was what Thor really wanted to do, he supposed he could give it a chance.

“Fine,” he said.

“You dont look or sound particularly enthusiastic,” Thor pointed out, and pointed his fork at him.

“I just… Nothing. Look, if you want to go to the park, we’ll go to the stupid park.”

And so, it was settled. Once they had finished their pancakes - which really did taste amazing - they both headed back to his bedroom to get dressed. On their way through the living room, Loki noted that the pizza was no longer there, and he turned confused eyes to Thor.

“What happened to the pizza?” he asked. “You never explained why you had it.”

“I ran into the delivery guy outside,” Thor said. “And I threw it out when I woke up. I hope you don’t mind. I figured you wouldn’t want it.” Well, no. Loki had no reason to be in the mood for cold pizza, and he had a feeling Thor wouldn’t have wanted it either way. He would just have to order a new one the next time he decided to watch wrestling with Amora.

Once they reached the bedroom, Loki took one look at his clothes and decided not to get dressed right away. He knew he was in a desperate need of a shower, and after throwing Thor a brief look and just a hint of a smirk, he entered the bathroom. He barely had time to step inside the shower before Thor had joined him, and Loki smiled as he began to wash himself, slowly moving his hands across his chest and keeping his eyes on Thor the entire time as he dared him to do something. Thor only managed to resist for about a minute or so before he had him pressed up against the wall. He had finally let his hair down, and Loki reached up to run his fingers through it, pushing it away from Thor’s face. Their lips met in a hungry kiss, and it didn’t take long before they were rubbing their bodies together, both of them moving their hands to stroke themselves. 

“I thought the purpose of a shower was to get _less_ dirty,” Loki commented once they had both come, and Thor laughed at that, shaking his head at him as he leaned in for another kiss. When they were finally getting dressed, Loki couldn’t help but wonder if this was what it was like to live with someone. He had never done that. Not since he had moved out of his father's home. Usually, he enjoyed the thought of being alone, but ever since he had met Thor he had been unable to stop thinking about how nice it might have been to have someone around. Not all the time, though. He wasn’t saying that he wanted Thor to be there every single day. He had a feeling he would get sick of that pretty quickly. But perhaps he could have been there at least a few nights a week? Of course, he knew that wasn’t actually possible. Thor was on the road too much to be able to spend a couple of nights a week with him. It was a shame, but he wasn’t planning on doing anything about it, and he certainly wasn’t planning on bringing it up. There was no reason for them to have that discussion.

Once they were both dressed, they left his apartment and headed outside. It was a hot enough day for them to leave their jackets behind, and both of them slipped their sunglasses on as they made their way towards the park. Loki had a feeling neither of them did it to shield their eyes from the sun. He didn't want to deal with people, and Thor didn't want to be recognized.

Even though it was a Friday and most people should have been in school or at work, the park was far from empty. As usual. There were plenty of people around, many of them probably trying to enjoy what could be one of the last hot and sunny days before fall finally arrived. Loki saw children walking hand in hand with their mothers, he saw people walking their dogs, and groups of friends sitting on the grass. Everything was still so green, and Loki glanced over at Thor as he tried to understand what they were doing here.

“It’s a nice day, isn’t it?” Thor said, and turned his head to look at him. At least, Loki assumed that he was looking at him. It was hard to tell when they were both wearing their sunglasses. He didn’t have to wonder for long, though, since Thor reached up and removed his only a couple of seconds later. He gave him an expectant look, and Loki reluctantly reached up and removed his own as well.

“So how did you find me?” Loki asked him as they kept walking, stubbornly ignoring everything that was happening around them.

“It wasn’t that hard,” Thor said. “Believe it or not, there aren’t that many people named Loki in New York. Besides, I had your phone number.”

Loki nodded his head at the simple explanation. That made sense. Finding someone wasn’t particularly difficult these days. He’d just been so surprised since they hadn’t agreed to see each other, he’d just… been there, all of the sudden.

“Can I ask you a question now?” Thor wanted to know, and Loki turned his eyes away again, watching as a child nearby fell and began to cry, calling out for his mother who immediately came to his aid. Loki wondered if anyone would come to his aid if he began to scream.

“Of course,” he mumbled, hoping Thor wouldn’t notice how tense he was.

“Did you mean what you said last night?”

Loki bit down on the inside of his lip, and held his breath as he waited for Thor to elaborate, but nothing happened. What did he mean? What had he said last night? As far as he could recall, he had said plenty of things. Was Thor talking about something he had said when they had been in bed, or was he talking about something he had said before that?

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

There was a sigh coming from Thor, but he ignored it. He easily could have missed it when there was so much noise around them.

“Do you really think the only reason I came here is because I wanted to have sex with you?”

Oh, that. Of course Thor wanted to talk about that again. Loki had half expected him to bring it up at some point, but why did he have to do it here of all places? They weren’t exactly alone, and this felt - at least to Loki - like a conversation they should have been having in private. What if someone heard them? Granted, it wouldn’t matter unless they recognized Thor enough to care what they were talking about, but still.

“Are you sure you want to discuss that here?” Loki asked him, glancing around before turning back to Thor, who looked like he didn’t understand what the problem was. Idiot. And it didn’t look like Thor was going to back down either. He was just waiting for him to say something. Okay, so maybe Loki wasn’t going to be able to avoid this conversation. Unless he ran away right now. He could hurry back to his apartment, throw Thor’s stuff out into the hallway, and lock the door. He did know that would be considered slightly desperate, but why not give it a try?

“No,” he said, and sighed as he kept his eyes away from Thor. “No, I don’t think that. I still remember what you told me, and I doubt you’d lie about it. You’re not smart enough to pull it off.”

“Hey,” Thor said, trying to sound offended, but the smile he had on his lips gave him away. “Are you calling me stupid?” All of the sudden, Thor turned around and stopped in front of him, forcing Loki to come to a quick halt. He blinked up at Thor, and swallowed as he wondered if it was appropriate for the two of them to be standing this close when they were in public.

“Not necessarily,” he admitted once he had recovered. “You managed to figure out where I live, that must have taken quite a lot out of you. And you… I’m afraid I can’t think of anything else.”

Thor shook his head at him, and for a second it looked like he was about to lean in and press their lips together, but then he changed his mind and straightened back up.

“You are just…” Thor paused, and Loki looked up at him as he waited for him to continue. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“I’ve been called that once or twice, yes,” Loki agreed with a nod of his head, and Thor chuckled as he moved back so that they were walking side by side once more.

“So how are your brothers?” Thor asked, and Loki blinked at him, giving him a confused look. He hadn’t expected Thor to remember anything about his family, probably because he had never really expected him to be interested in his life. This was never supposed to turn into… whatever this was, after all. He had just wanted to spend that first evening with Thor, and then he had wanted to have sex with him, and now? Now, he wasn’t sure what this was all about.

“They’re… I’m not sure, actually. I haven’t spoken to either of them in months.”

“Because you don’t have time or because you just don’t care?”

“Because I’ve been busy. Besides, I know what they are up to. They work, and they go home to their wives. If there is anything else I should know about, they will call me. If not, they will simply leave me to live my own life.”

Thor tilted his head to the side. “What does that mean?” he asked. “Do they disapprove of… your lifestyle?”

Loki raised a brow, and glanced over at Thor. “My lifestyle?” He snorted. “You want to know if they have a problem with me being gay? Well, I don’t think they’re thrilled about it, but they’ve never expressed any outright hatred. But I don’t know what they say about me behind my back.” He gave Thor another look. “What about your parents? How do they feel about your lifestyle?” He knew Thor had told him that his parents were proud of him, but that had been during their first meeting, and he could understand why Thor wouldn’t have wanted to share the truth with just anyone. Then again, Loki had opened up enough to tell him that his parents were dead.

“Oh, they have a lot of things to say about my lifestyle,” Thor said. “My father more so than my mother. He doesn’t understand why I’d want to spend my life pretending to fight people for other people’s amusement. He doesn’t understand why I did it for so long without making more than a few dollars a week. If I was lucky. He just… He doesn’t get it, and he’s never pretended to be interested in any of it.”

“So they’re not as proud as you first made it out to be?”

Thor gave him a surprised look. He seemed to realize what he was referring to a couple of seconds later, and nodded his head. “I did say that, didn’t I? Well, they tell me they’re proud of me. But I can see it in my father’s eyes. He wishes I would have stepped up and taken over the family business. But my mother, she’s… I think she worries a lot. She knows how easy it is for a wrestler to get hurt. And I get that. I don’t blame her for worrying.”

“Have they ever been to any of your matches?” Loki asked. Surely if they had seen Thor in the ring, they had to know that he was talented, and well loved by fans? He could understand why wrestling wasn’t for anyone. He had scoffed at the very idea a couple of months ago, and he still thought it was ridiculous at times, but that didn’t change the fact that Thor was good at it, and he was obviously proud of his own accomplishments. His parents should at least get to see that.

“They have,” Thor confirmed. “But not for a few years. And I can’t imagine them going to one now. They’d stand out way too much.” He shook his head, an almost fond smile on his face even as his eyes managed to look sad. “I suppose I could ask my mother, but…” He trailed off, and Loki turned away from him

“I get it,” he said, and let out a dramatic sigh as he nodded his head. “Why bring her to a show when you’re probably just going to lose anyway?”

“I don’t lose that much,” Thor pointed out. Loki let out a loud snort, and a second later he almost stumbled and fell to the ground when Thor nudged him. Luckily, he managed to keep himself on his feet. Barely. Thor had the nerve to laugh at him, and Loki pressed his lips together and gave him a sour look.

“Sorry,” Thor said, even though he was still laughing. “I guess I forget how strong I am sometimes.”

“Yes, well, sometimes I appreciate that strength,” Loki muttered as he brushed himself off, even though he hadn’t actually fallen.

“I know you do,” Thor teased. Loki rolled his eyes at him.

“You’re one of the silliest men I have ever met,” he pointed out.

“Is that so?” Thor raised his eyebrows and looked like he was about to start laughing again. “Well, you’re one of the…” He trailed off in the middle of the sentence, and Loki frowned as he wondered what had made him stop. Thor had his head turned away from him, and Loki tried to follow his gaze to find out what he was looking at. He realized what it was as soon as his eyes fell on two small children standing a couple of feet away from them. They were both blond, one of them slightly taller than the other. Loki would have guessed that they were no more than seven years old. Both of them were staring at Thor, looking slightly hesitant. They must have recognized him. Or at least they thought they had recognized him. He had a feeling it was difficult for them when he was wearing normal clothes and had his hair up.

“Excuse me for a moment,” Thor said to Loki and stepped closer to the children, who looked up at him with wide eyes. Thor greeted them both with a smile, and a woman who must have been their mother showed up just a second later. Loki tried telling himself that he wasn’t curious, but he did walk a little closer so that he would be able to hear them.

“I hope they’re not bothering you,” the woman said to Thor, who shook his head.

“Oh, not at all. In fact, we were just about to greet each other.” He crouched down in front of the boys, and Loki couldn’t help but smile when he realized he was still taller than them.

“You’re Thor, right? You’re their favorite wrestler,” the mother explained when the kids seemed to be speechless, and Thor raised his eyebrows.

“Really? That’s such an honor. What’s your name?” he asked the taller one, who slowly opened his mouth.

“Ethan,” he said quietly. “And this is Michael. We’re brothers.”

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you both,” Thor said, and shook both of their hands. Loki raised a brow when they looked even more surprised by the handshake than Amora had done last night.

“Perhaps I could take a picture of the three of you?” the mother suggested. “If that’s alright, of course.”

“Sure,” Thor said, and looked back at the boys. “Would you like to go for a ride?” he asked, and they nodded their heads excitedly. He wrapped one arm around each of them and lifted them up, and Loki tilted his head to the side as he watched, not sure which one of them was more excited as they all smiled for the picture. The taller one leaned in and whispered something to Thor, who turned his eyes to him and whispered something in return.

Loki continued to watch their little exchange with a small frown on his face, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for them to finish. Even when he’d put them back down, Thor continued to talk to them for a few more minutes, and the children looked like this was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to them. Which it probably was. Loki supposed that he could understand their excitement, and he could only hope he hadn’t looked like that the first time he had met Thor.

Thor signed both of their caps, and the meeting only came to an end when the mother said that it was time to go.

“Thank you so much,” she said. “I think you just made their whole year.”

“It was my pleasure,” Thor assured her, and waved at the boys before they left. Once they were out of sight, he returned to Loki’s side, and the two of them kept walking in silence for quite some time.

“You handled that very well,” Loki said eventually.

“I’m used to it. I don’t like to brag, but I do have fans, and some of them are younger.”

“But you seemed to enjoy it,” Loki insisted. Thor couldn’t possibly deny the fact that he probably wouldn’t have been quite as enthusiastic if they had run into some older fans. That smile on his face had been huge, and he had looked almost as excited as the kids. “Do you... “ He hesitated for a moment. “Is that something you want? Children?”

Thor was quiet for a long moment, and Loki kept his eyes on him, ignoring how fast his heart was beating as he waited for an answer.

“I don’t know,” Thor finally said, meeting his gaze for a fleeting moment before he looked away again. “I mean, I like being around children, and… Do I enjoy the thought of coming home to a family? Yeah, of course I do. But ever since I became a wrestler, I just figured it was never going to happen. Not that we don’t have kids. A lot of wrestlers do, but I see what it’s like for them to be away from their families. They miss so much. I’ve heard them talk about missing their child’s first step, and their first word… I don’t know if I could handle that. If I had a normal job, I’d definitely want to have kids, but since I can’t see myself putting an end to this any time soon…” Thor sighed, and shook his head. “I’ve just kind of gotten used to the thought of not having any. Unless I go into an early retirement.”

Loki could feel his heart sinking inside his chest. Thor did want them. He did want kids, that much was obvious, and suddenly the chance of the two of them having any kind of future together seemed to get significantly smaller. If Thor came to realize that he didn’t want to give that up after all, he would probably want to move on to someone else, probably to someone who would actually be able to give him kids.

“What about you?” Thor asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. Loki gave him an almost scared look before turning his eyes away from him. He watched some children running around on the grass, trying to catch each other while their parents looked on. After a long moment, he shook his head.

“Kids were never part of my plan,” he said, seeing no reason for him not to be honest. It was better for the two of them to know where they stood on this particular subject. Not that Loki was foolish enough to think they would ever make it that far. They weren’t exactly thinking about spending the rest of their lives together. This was just a fling. An escape. Even if they did end up calling each other boyfriend, Loki doubted it was a relationship that would last very long. He would never be able to handle Thor being away for such long periods of times, especially not when he was surrounded by people he had slept with, and he was sure Thor would get sick of him always working. Basically, they were bound to choose their careers over their relationship

“Then what is your plan?” Thor asked, and Loki frowned. He was tempted to ask Thor why. Why was he asking him this? Why did he want to have this kind of conversation? This… whatever this was, was never going to last. Why would they talk about things that were bound to make them realize it? He didn’t understand.

“I…” He trailed off, and realized that he didn’t know. He didn’t _know_ what the plan was. For the last couple of years, he had focused on nothing but his career. That was it. But what about the rest of his life? Did he actually want to find someone to spend the rest of his life with, or was he going to skip that part? Focusing on his work was fine for now, but what would happen in ten years when he realized that was all he had? He was sure Amora would still be his friend, but even she was moving on. She was engaged, she was going to get married, and iit wouldn’t have surprised him in the slightest if she ended up pregnant soon after that. And then what? His apartment was already beginning to feel empty. What would happen when not even Amora was around anymore?

“It’s okay,” Thor assured him. “You don’t have to tell me.” Loki flinched when Thor’s hand ended up on his back, and he quickly tried to regain his composure by clearing his throat and straightening his shoulders.

“You know, I couldn’t help but notice you don’t have a lot of food in your fridge,” Thor continued, and Loki was grateful for the change of subject. “How about we go buy some? I don’t know about you, but I have to eat every two hours, even when I’m a bad boy who’s chosen not to go to the gym.”

Lok couldn’t hold back a small smile at that, and he nodded his head in agreement, leading the way out of the park and all the way over to the small supermarket he usually did his shopping at. Thor insisted on carrying the groceries, and Loki didn’t protest. Once they'd reached his apartment, Thor walked into the kitchen with the bags, and Loki helped him put everything away before he sat down at the table and watched as Thor began to cook. Loki had never really been a huge fan of cooking. He usually did it because he had to, though he did know how to put together a somewhat fancier meal if the situation called for it. Thor looked like he was enjoying it, though. He hummed to himself as he put the chicken in the oven and chopped the different vegetables. When it was all finished, they both had chicken, vegetables, and brown rice on their plates. Thor had opted for two big chicken breasts, and even though Loki had significantly less on his plate, there was still a lot of food.

“You don’t actually think I want to become a wrestler, do you?” Loki asked as Thor put the plate down in front of him, and Thor shook his head.

“No, but you need to…” He cut himself off, and Loki stubbornly kept his eyes on the table, not wanting to meet his eyes. Yes, he had to eat. He knew that. Was that why Thor was insisting on cooking for him? Loki picked up his fork and tried some of the chicken, which turned out to be really good. It was juicy and with just the right amount of seasoning, and Loki wondered if he could possibly keep Thor around as a personal chef. Not that he wanted to be on this kind of diet every day. He had a feeling that there was a lot of chicken and brown rice in Thor’s diet, and Loki could never live like that. But at least they weren't going to have chicken for dinner. He had seen Thor get some tuna, and he was already looking forward to that. 

“So? Does it taste okay?” Thor asked him, and Loki nodded his head as he reached for his glass to take a sip of water.

“It does, but I could not see myself eating this every day.”

“Good thing you’re not planning on becoming a wrestler then,” Thor said, and gave him a smile as he cut another big piece of chicken. “You don’t really look like a wrester anyway. It’d be easier to imagine you as a manager. I could see you in a suit.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “And who would I be representing? You?”

Thor gave him a hurt look, even dropping his fork as he proceeded to pout. “Are you telling me you wouldn’t want to represent me?”

“Well, I would have to be face, wouldn’t I?” Loki asked. “You’re face, and you can’t have a heel manager, can you?”

Thor shook his head. “Not usually, no. But to be fair, managers usually have a bit more freedom than the wrestlers. You wouldn't have to be good all the time. You’re right, though. I don’t think I could have a heel manager without turning heel, and… I can’t see you as a face. No offense.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Loki told him with a smirk. He supposed he would have been able to go up against Stark if he’d been Thor’s manager. And oh, how he would have enjoyed that. He would’ve had no problem acting like he disliked him. And he also would’ve had no problem badmouthing Hulk. It would have been a lot of fun. Perhaps a career change wouldn’t be so bad after all?

Once they had both finished everything on their plates (Thor finishing probably five minutes before him despite the amount of food on his plate) they headed into the living room. Loki insisted that he had to get some work done, and Thor shook his head at him but didn’t say anything about it. Instead he made himself comfortable next to him on the couch and took control of the remote. Loki tried to concentrate on his emails while Thor flipped through the channels, eventually stopping when he found some movie he seemed to enjoy.

Soon enough, Loki found himself wondering if this was what they were going to be like if they ever decided to become a couple. Would he be working while Thor relaxed? Would Thor cook for him? Would they spend what little time they had together before going to bed and falling asleep in each other’s arms? It didn’t sound horrible. In fact, Loki didn’t like how easily he could see himself getting used to it.

He only looked up from his laptop when someone in the movie mentioned Sweden, and Thor chuckled fondly as they made some kind of IKEA joke. What a dork.

“I haven’t heard you speak Swedish in a while,” Loki pointed out, and Thor turned to look at him. “Why don’t you tell me something?”

Thor raised a brow. “What would you like me to say?” he asked.

“How about…” Loki tilted his head to the side as he thought about it, the corner of his lips twitching when he finally came up with something. “I think you’re the hottest person I have ever met and I really enjoyed fucking your brains out last night?”

Thor narrowed his eyes at him. “What kind of words do you think my mother taught me?”

So he had never tried to learn anything on his own? That was a disappointment. Loki shrugged, and tried to think of something else.

“Okay, what about… I really should learn more Swedish?”

Thor frowned and waited a second or two before he opened his mouth. “Jag tror du inte fattar hur… hur fantastisk du är.” Every word was spoken slowly and with a slight hesitation, and it sounded… well, it certainly sounded foreign, but Loki had no idea if it was correct or not. He didn’t speak Swedish. He had no idea what it was supposed to sound like. Thor had implied that he wasn’t very good at it, though some of those words sounded quite complicated, and Loki had to admit that he was impressed.

“Oh, and… du ska sluta... “ Thor sighed, tilting his head down in defeat. “Actually, I don’t know how to say the rest of it.” He shrugged his shoulders, and shot Loki a smile a second later. “I’ve been practicing. Can you tell?”

Loki raised his brows. “You’ve been practicing? Why?”

“Because I want to learn, and… I don’t know. It’s nice to be able to speak a language you don’t understand. I’d try to speak Norwegian, but my father never bothered to teach me.”

That made it even more impressive, didn’t it? He obviously didn’t know if Thor was actually doing a good job or not, but he was at least trying to improve, and that was honestly something he hadn’t expected. Then again, hadn’t Thor already proven that he was a dedicated and hardworking person? If he wasn’t, he never would have made it to the WWE.

“I like it,” he confessed. “I don’t like not being able to know what you’re telling me, but the words themselves… It was nice.”

Thor laughed softly at that and moved a little closer to him before turning back to the movie. A while later, Thor headed into the kitchen again, and Loki had to stop writing as he heard him move around in there. What was he doing? When he came back, he was holding a pita bread in his hands, and Loki furrowed his brow as he watched him sit back down.

“What’s that?” he asked, and Thor turned his eyes to him.

“My snack,” he explained, and Loki raised his eyebrows.

“Your snack?” That was some snack. A whole wheat pita bread stuffed with tuna and what looked to be quite a bit of lettuce. Loki’s idea of a snack was… a fruit, or possibly a very small sandwich. What Thor had in his hands did not look like a snack to him. It looked a lot more like dinner.

Thor smiled at him, and took a big bite of his snack. Loki watched him for a long moment, deciding not to say anything else about it. He’d already known that Thor was going to eat a lot. Of course, now he was wondering what he was going to make them for dinner. He had assumed they would be having tuna, but if he was already eating it, they were bound to have something else, right?

Wrong.

Thor made more tuna for dinner. And more brown rice. And more vegetables. At least it was a different protein, but Loki still managed to shake his head at him.

“Sorry,” Thor said, though going by the smile on his lips, Loki assumed he wasn’t actually sorry at all. “It’s not like this every day, I swear.”

Loki wasn’t sure if he believed him. Still, at least the tuna was good. He was already getting sick of the rice, but he could deal with it. It was far from the worst thing he had ever had. He wasn't about to make it when Thor wasn't around, though. No, he was pretty sure it would remain in one of his cabinets until Thor came back. If he did come back. He obviously couldn't be sure of that. 

When he glanced over at Thor to ask him what he would have instead of rice, he found that he was already being watched, and he frowned at him.

“What?” he asked, and Thor shook his head.

“Nothing,” he said, and gave him a smile. Loki gave him a suspicious look, but Thor simply turned his eyes back to his food, refusing to let him know what he had been thinking about. Because he must have been thinking about something. Why else would he have been looking at him like that? He didn’t even get a chance to ask him about it - or about the rice, for that matter - since Thor brought up the possibility of him coming to another live show, and then they ended up talking about that until Loki had forgotten all about his questions.

When they had both finished eating, Loki offered to clean up. It was his home, after all, and Thor had cooked three times for him now. It only seemed fair that he did _something_. Thor insisted on helping, though, and together the two of them put the food away and took care of the dishes. It all felt so domestic. Loki still wasn’t sure how to feel about it. It was confusing. To make himself stop thinking about it, he threw the wet dishrag he'd been using at the back of Thor’s neck, hoping that perhaps annoying him would serve as a nice distraction. Thor turned around and stared at him, almost as if he was trying to figure out whether that had actually happened or not.

“You’re going to pay for that,” he told him, and Loki took a step back as Thor bent down to pick it up.

“Thor, don’t,” he warned him, putting his hands up as he backed away from him, but that did not stop him. Thor threw the dishrag at him, but Loki managed to duck, and it fell to the floor. They both looked at each other for a second or two before Loki dove for it.

“Truce,” he said, and gave Thor a careful look as he walked over to the sink. Thor watched him like a hawk, and Loki tried not to laugh as he rinsed the cloth under hot water.

“You really think I’m falling for this?” Thor asked him, and Loki cocked an eyebrow as he turned to look at him.

“Falling for what?” he asked and gave him an innocent look. “I would never do anything to you, Thor. Come here, and I’ll prove it.” Thor gave him a suspicious look, but stepped closer, and Loki reached up to wrap his arms around his neck. “See? You’re safe with me,” he promised him. Of course, the very next second he squeezed the dishrag, which was still in his right hand, and let the water run down Thor’s neck and back before he dropped it down his shirt.

Thor let out a disgusted noise, and Loki quickly turned around and hurried out of the room, wondering if Thor would follow. It was a trick he had used multiple times on his brothers whenever they had been forced to clean up in the kitchen. Not that he had ever thrown his arms around their necks. That was just for Thor. And speaking of Thor, he was right behind him, and Loki had about a second to decide where to go. The only place with a lock on the door was the bathroom, but he didn’t have time to make it all the way over there before Thor had managed to grab his arm and pull him back, tackling him onto the couch. He held him down as he dragged the still wet and actually kind of smelly dishrag over his face. Loki tried to fight against him, snapping at Thor to stop even as he tried not to laugh.

“Thor, you idiot! Stop it!”

Thor smiled widely at him. “Stop what? You started it.”

Loki finally managed to grab the cloth, and Thor allowed him to throw it away. It was only then that Loki noticed how nice it actually was to have Thor on top of him. As if he hadn’t already known that. That didn’t stop him from trying to get Thor to move away, though, but it was useless. Thor was just too strong and too big to move. Loki let out a frustrated sigh, but he was sure Thor saw right through him. He wasn’t even sure who was the first one to lean in, but all of the sudden their lips were pressed together, and he stopped fighting.

He had to admit that this was nice. They were just kissing. It wasn’t going anywhere, they weren’t in any kind of rush, they were just taking it slow. And he liked it. Even as they pulled back to breathe, he only let it last for a second or two before he pulled Thor down for another kiss. Their lips and tongues moved together, and Loki decided that he could definitely get used to this part. If being together with Thor meant more making out on couches, he wasn’t as opposed to it as he had first thought he was. They probably stayed like that for at least ten minutes, possibly even fifteen, before Thor gave him a smile and sat back up again.

As soon as they had both calmed down a bit, he suggested that perhaps they could watch a movie. It wasn’t really time for bed yet, after all. Loki nodded his head in agreement, and told Thor to pick something for them to watch on Netflix. He handed him the remote before disappearing into the kitchen to make some popcorn. When he came back, he sat down and frowned lightly at the title. Wait. Oh, yeah, that was a Tom Cruise movie, wasn’t it?

“Edge of Tomorrow,” Thor said, as he pressed play. “I’ve heard a lot of great things about it, but I haven’t had the chance to watch it.” Neither had Loki. Though he wasn’t sure if it was a movie he would have chosen. Nevertheless, he sat down next to Thor and pushed the popcorn closer to him. Thor only hesitated for a second before he grabbed a fistful, and Loki rolled his eyes at him before turning his eyes to the screen. The movie ended up being better than he had thought it would be. Thor seemed to be enjoying it a lot, and Loki quickly learned that he was one of those people who liked to talk while watching a movie. He didn’t mind it, though. They discussed whether Tom Cruise was actually hot or not, and then they had the same discussion about Emily Blunt. They both came to the conclusion that she was a lot hotter. Neither one of them thought the kiss was necessary, though Loki pointed out that it had been obvious from the start that they would go there. When it was over, and the popcorn were all gone, Thor turned his eyes to look at him.

“So. Are we going to bed now?”

Loki raised a brow, and let out a snort as he turned away from him.

“What?” Thor asked.

“We’re already acting like an old, boring couple,” Loki pointed out. “We’ve stayed in on a Friday night, and now we’re going to sleep as soon as the movie is over.”

Thor reached out to grab his chin, and leaned closer, close enough for him to brush their lips together. “I didn’t realize we were a couple,” Thor said. “And for the record, I never said anything about going to sleep.”

He stood up, grabbing Loki’s hand so that he could pull him up as well, and dragged him into the bedroom. The two of them made themselves comfortable on the bed, and Thor smiled against Loki’s lips when he forced himself on top.

“Maybe you should try on my shirt again?” he whispered.

“I’ll wear it in the morning,” Loki promised him, and reached down to unzip Thor’s jeans and palm him through his underwear. Thor groaned into the kiss.

“Then how am I ever supposed to leave you?”

Loki didn’t have an answer for him, which was why he didn’t even attempt one. Instead, he focused on Thor, eventually moving his hand inside of his boxers to stroke his cock into a full hardness. Thor thrust his hips up against his hand, and Loki smirked down at him.

“There’s something I want you to do,” he told Thor.

“Anything,” Thor promised him easily, and Loki felt a rush of power at that. He had him wrapped around his finger, didn’t he?

“I want you to eat me out,” he said, and gave Thor another kiss. Thor groaned again, and quickly pushed himself up, turning them both around and making sure Loki was on his stomach before he began to work on getting his pants off. Loki rested his head against his arms and smiled happily as he felt Thor’s breath against his bare ass, only squirming a little bit when he felt his beard as well. He could certainly get used to this part. Thor seemed inclined to follow his every command, but he could also take control and be just as rough as he wanted him to be. What could he possbly dislike about that? Nothing.

He let out a soft, content moan at the first lick, and closed his eyes when Thor spread his cheeks for better access. Oh, that tongue. Thor really did know how to use it, and Loki was so close to once again thinking about the women Thor had slept with and probably practiced on, but Thor stopped him with a sharp thrust of his tongue. Loki wasn’t even trying to make himself come. He just lay there, taking pleasure in what Thor was doing to him as his cock slowly grew hard against his stomach. It didn’t seem like Thor had any intention of stopping, but as much as Loki would have liked to let Thor make him come like this, he had other plans. He told Thor to stop, and turned himself around, removing his own shirt and watching as Thor got naked as well. Once he was, Loki allowed himself a quick moment to appreciate his body before he grabbed his arm and pulled him down. He threw one of his legs around Thor’s waist, and encouraged him to roll their hips together. There was no penetration, just the two of them sliding their bodies together, slowly working themselves closer to their orgasms. They’d had sex quite a few times by now, but this almost felt like the most intimate thing they had done. They were so close, and even though there was a part of Loki which desperately wanted to escape, he kept looking into Thor’s eyes, trying to figure out the emotion he saw in them. Thor looked pleased. Happy, even. He looked like he wanted to be here, and this time Loki wasn’t going to doubt or question it. He was simply going to let it happen.

As he grew closer to his release, he dug his nails into Thor’s flesh and arched his back, moaning loudly.

“That’s it, Loki,” Thor murmured against his neck. “Come for me.” And Loki did just that. His body tensed up before he was pushed over the edge, choking on a breath and Thor’s name spilling from his lips as he emptied himself between their bodies. Thor wasn’t far behind, and he came just a couple of seconds later, rolling their hips together a few more times as they settled into a relaxed, blissful state of mind. Both of them were breathing heavily, and Thor gave him a smile and another kiss before he reached for some tissues. Once he had cleaned them both, he gave Loki another kiss, and brushed his fingers against his still flushed cheek as he looked into his eyes.

“Jag älskar dig,” he said, slowly, and it took Loki a moment to realize that what he had just heard had been something other than English. He frowned, and licked his lips as he looked up at him.

“What does that mean?”

Thor blinked at him. “I can’t remember,” he said, a somewhat bashful look on his face as he shook his head. “I’ll ask my mom the next time I talk to her.”

Loki gave him a suspicious look, wondering why Thor would say something if he had no idea what it meant. Was he trying to show off? 

Thor shrugged. “It just felt right, I suppose.” He lay down next to him, and pulled Loki closer to himself. “Don’t worry about it, okay? Just go to sleep.”

Loki gave him another look before closing his eyes, telling himself he might as well let it go because there was no way for him to look it up anyway. He couldn’t even remember what Thor had said. It all sounded weird to him, and he couldnt possibly make out the different words. Besides, he was sure it had been something silly. Probably something about his eyes. Or his lips. 

"Good night, Loki," Thor said, and pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head. Loki didn't say anything in return. He simply moved his arm around Thor's chest and kept it there as he took long, calming breaths, Thor's mysterious words soon forgotten as he fell into a deep sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. For those of you who don't understand Swedish and can't figure out what the hell Thor was saying... Well, you might want to look it up. He can be very sneaky when he wants to be.


	14. Chapter 14

Neither of them was in a hurry to get out of bed the next morning. They both knew Thor would be leaving in just a couple of hours, and even though staying in bed did absolutely nothing to prevent that, at least it gave them an opportunity to pretend for a while longer. As they lay there with their arms wrapped around each other, Loki was almost tempted to ask Thor to stay another day, but in the end he chose not to. They’d had one day together, which had to be enough. That didn’t stop him from wishing Thor would stay, though. He wished he would insist on staying another couple of hours, or possibly until the next day. But Thor didn’t say anything about it, not even as they finally forced themselves to leave the bed and head into the kitchen for some food.

After breakfast, Thor headed into the bedroom to pack what little he had brought with him, and Loki slowly followed, leaning against the doorframe as he watched him throw everything into his bag. He was wearing Thor’s shirt again, and he was just about to pull it off and hand it over when Thor turned around and shook his head at him.

“Keep it,” he said, and stepped closer so that he could wrap his arms around him and lean in for a kiss. “It looks better on you.”

“If you insist,” Loki murmured against his lips, and put his hands on Thor’s chest so that he could force him closer to the bed. Once they had reached it, he pushed him down and immediately moved to straddle him, slipping his arms around Thor’s neck as he pulled him in for another heated kiss. Thor ended up fucking him one last time, and Loki encouraged him to go faster by telling him he wanted to feel it for days. When it was over, they both had their fair share of marks to help them remember what they had just done. You could clearly see where Loki had been dragging his nails down Thor's back, and as for Loki... well, he was sporting a brand new hickey or two. Thor had made sure to put them in a place where he would be able to hide them, though. He was nothing if not considerate.

Thirty minutes later they were standing next to the front door, and Loki tried not to sigh loudly when Thor cupped the back of his neck and leaned in for one last kiss.

“We’ll see each other soon,” Thor promised him. Loki shrugged his shoulders.

“There’s no rush,” he assured him, letting his eyes fall when they pulled away from each other and Thor threw his bag over his shoulder.

“Already getting sick of me, huh?”

He glanced back up again and found Thor smiling at him, not looking the least bit worried. “Just go,” he told him. He raised his hand to give Thor's chest a push, but then he realized it would have seemed too playful and quickly stopped himself. Thor’s smile faded just a bit, but then he leaned in and pressed his soft lips to his forehead.

“Don’t forget to watch Raw on Monday,” he told him, giving him one more smile before he grabbed his bag and left the apartment. Loki blinked, staring at the same spot for a moment longer before he finally closed the door, letting out a deep sigh as he leaned against it and let his eyes fall shut.

Well, that was it. It was over. For now, that is. They hadn’t put an end to anything. He was sure they would start talking about seeing each other again soon enough, and he knew he would make Thor come back to his place. Spending time in his apartment had been a lot nicer than spending time in a hotel room, even though they'd had less of a reason to leave the bed when they'd been staying in that hotel. Oh, well. He would need a bit of a break first. As much as he did enjoy his time with Thor, he could be a bit... much. That smile was bound to get on his nerves one day. 

This was what Loki told himself as he stepped into his now empty kitchen. He walked over to the sink and began to put everything away, cleaning up in silence. He could remember the way Thor had hummed while cooking, and he shook his head as he thought about that silly oaf. Well, Loki certainly wasn’t about to start humming any time soon. Instead, he put on some music, letting someone else do the singing for him. Once he had found an appropriate song on his phone, he put it down on the kitchen table and let the melody fill the room as he continued to clean up. When he was done, he opened the fridge and looked at the food Thor had left behind, furrowing his brow when he realized that there was quite a bit of it. Thor couldn’t possibly have assumed that they would eat all of this. No, he’d bought it for him, hadn’t he? What a jerk. Loki didn’t need Thor to look after him. He was going to start eating again, okay? There was no reason for anyone to worry about him.

Amora called him a couple of hours later, asking if he had time to talk.

“Because if you’re busy being fucked until you can’t see straight, I really don’t want to talk to you right now. Or maybe I do. But you’re not making enough noises for that to be happening.”

“Do you really think I would have answered if it was?” Loki asked and rolled his eyes at her. “Trust me, if he’d been fucking me right now, talking to you is the last thing I'd want to do.”

“Hey. That’s not very nice,” Amora teased him. “Is he still there? If so, are the two of you in the same room? Is he listening to all of this? I’m sure he has a smug grin on his face.”

“Actually, he’s already left,” Loki told her, shaking his head as he entered his bedroom. “He left a couple of hours ago, and I already miss his cooking. I was getting sick of the rice, but he’s a surprisingly good cook. I didn’t think wrestlers had time for that sort of thing.”

“As if he couldn’t get any more perfect,” Amora chuckled, sounding almost fond as she continued. “He’s hot, he’s got the muscles, he’s sweet, and now he’s a great cook?” She let out a long, dreamy sigh. “You’re one lucky bastard, Loki. I wish Phil would cook for me.”

“No you don’t,” Loki said, and tried to pull the sheets off the bed with one hand. They really needed to be washed. All of it needed to be washed, even though he would have liked to be able to smell Thor on his pillow for a while longer. Fine, maybe he would leave the pillow alone. “The last time he cooked for you he nearly set the house on fire, remember?”

“He’s sweet to even be trying in the first place.”

“If you say so." Loki was quite sure it was better for her fiance to stay out of the kitchen, no matter how sweet it may have been to watch him burn everything he tried to make. "You know what else he did? He left food for me. I honestly can’t remember the last time I had this much food in my fridge. Can you believe it?”

“The bastard,” Amora said very seriously, and Loki let out a huff because he could tell she didn’t actually mean it. “How dare he buy you food? Maybe you’re the one who should be spanking him? By the way, how did that go? How hard did he make you sob?”

“He never did make me sob because I told him not to spank me,” Loki let her know, picking up the sheets and bringing them over to the laundry basket. “And he actually listens to me. But about the food… Look, I didn’t ask him to do it. I don’t need him to look after me.”

“Maybe you do?” Amora insisted. “He's not the only one who’s worried about you, you know. I know you’re not going to like hearing this, but you have lost quite a bit of weight, Loki. And it doesn’t suit you at all. Slim is one thing, but this is too much. And maybe you need someone to help you get back on your feet."

Loki rolled his eyes. She was making it sound like he had been in some kind of accident, or like he was recovering from an addiction. Well, he was fine. He had been eating, just not enough, because he simply hadn't had the time for it. Now he did have the time, though, and he had eaten quite a bit these last couple of days. He was sure he would be back to his normal weight soon enough.

"Did he actually talk to you about it, or did he just buy the food without telling you he wanted you to keep it?”

“He just bought the food.”

“Because he knows you wouldn’t have wanted to talk about it. See? He knows you already. Not that it's hard to figure you out. You’re surprisingly easy to read, even if you think you’re not. Just accept the food, Loki. Eat it, enjoy it, and be happy that there’s someone out there who really cares about you.”

“But it’s not-” Loki began, but was quickly cut off before he had the chance to protest.

“You’re damn lucky to have him, okay? Listen to me, Loki. Please. You’ve found this great guy who really likes you, someone who also happens to be one of the hottest guys on the planet. Why are you so eager to push him away?”

“Because he’s never going to want me anyway,” Loki told her, the words making their way out of his mouth before he had a chance to stop them. They both paused at that, and Loki considered simply hanging up before Amora got the chance to say anything else. She was quiet for an awful long moment, and Loki ran a hand over his face, nervously drumming his fingers against his dresser as he waited for her to say something. _Anything_.

“Why wouldn’t he want you?” she finally asked him. She actually sounded slightly hesitant, as if she wasn't sure she should be saying any of this, which surprised him. Amora usually never shied away from telling him… well, anything. She was always the one who tried - according to her - to talk some sense into him. Why was she all of the sudden so nervous about it? 

Loki let out a long sigh, and walked over to sit down on the bed, crossing his legs as he attempted to come up with a way to say what he wanted to say without making it sound like he was in any way sad about it. Because he wasn’t sad. He had never thought Thor and he had any kind of future anyway. He was no fool, after all. 

“We don’t want the same things,” he said, and brushed his fingers against the mattress. “When we were taking a walk yesterday, he… We ran into some fans of his. Kids. And you should have seen the way he looked at them, Amora. He had such a big smile on his face, and he… He obviously wants kids. He wants a family. And I’m… I’m not it. I don’t want kids, and I’m not exactly family material in the first place. I’m no good at it, you know that. But he wants kids, and a pretty little wife, and a house with a white picket fence. Where do I fit into that fantasy?" He snorted. "As the mistress? No, thank you.” He did have some standards, after all. He wasn’t going to be someone's dirty little secret, he had already expressed as much. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be someone’s one and only either, but to be kept hidden? No. He wasn’t sure he would be able to handle that for long. Sooner or later, he was bound to expose the entire thing, preferably in a way that would humiliate everyone involved.

“Loki,” Amora said firmly, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Has he actually said these things, or is this you freaking out about things you have no reason to be freaking out about? Because unless he’s explicitly told you that he wants all of that, I’m not sure I understand what you’re so upset about.”

“Of course he hasn’t told me,” Loki snapped at her. “But I could see it. When I asked him about it, I could tell he didn’t like the thought of not having kids. And I can’t give him any of that.”

“Are you sure you don’t want kids?” Amora asked. “I think you would make a… great parent.”

Loki raised a brow, both at the words and at the obvious pause. She wasn’t actually serious, was she? She couldn’t be.

“Okay, maybe you’d have some trouble, but that’s what Thor would be around for. I think the two of you could balance each other out. You would teach the kids how to… look out for themselves, and how to be a hard worker, and he would teach them to… you know. Be nice.”

“Ah, yes,” Loki said, doing nothing to hide the sarcasm in his voice. “You’re right. I would make an excellent parent.” He shook his head as he let out another loud snort. “Those poor kids.”

“Hey, your brothers are doing alright, aren’t they?”

Loki shrugged his shoulders. He wasn’t sure how well his brothers were doing, but the last time he had met his nephews they had seemed relatively normal. Then again, they were still really young, neither of them no more than a year old. He was sure that if his brothers had managed to mess them up, they wouldn’t be able to tell for another couple of years. Besides, his brothers were different. They had been eager to find someone to marry and have kids. Now, whether that was because they actually wanted it or because they felt like they had to, he wasn’t sure, but at least they had never been opposed to it, unlike him.

“Listen, Loki, you shouldn’t worry so much about this. I mean, who the fuck cares? If he really wants kids, then he’ll just have to find someone who wants that just as much, but until then… Until then, he’s all yours.”

“Thanks, Amora,” Loki said. The sarcasm still wasn't going anywhere. “That is just what I wanted to hear. He will keep me around because I’m a good fuck until he decides he wants a family, and then I will be tossed aside because he’s ready for something else.”

“I thought you didn’t want a relationship?” Amora asked him, sounding much too smug to his ears. “If that isn’t what you want, then it really shouldn’t matter to you, should it? You clearly have some great sex, so keep having it until he doesn’t want it any more. And then you’ll have to find someone else." She paused. "Okay, I can see why that would be a bit depressing because I’m sure he’s amazing in bed, but he can’t be the only one who is. Hey, you can always go for another wrestler. What about Cap? He’s single, right?”

“How should I know?” Loki muttered, and let out a groan as he fell back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as he took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. He knew she was right. He knew this shouldn’t have bothered him. Thor wasn’t his, after all. They weren’t in a relationship. He was just someone he had sex with. And had dinner with. And… someone he talked to about his life and his problems. Okay, Loki was no expert on relationships - far from it, in fact - but it did kind of sound like… Except that it was a long distance relationship. Damnit. How had this happened? How had he allowed it to come to this? He didn’t have feelings for Thor (thankfully) but he was becoming a little too… attached, wasn’t he? Well, that needed to stop. Right now. Clearly, they had absolutely no future together, and he could not allow himself to develop any kind of stronger feelings for him. Maybe it was time for him to end it, before he managed to get himself hurt. That was about the only optioned he had, wasn’t it? But he didn’t want to end it. He didn’t want this to end yet. He… No. He wasn’t even going to think it. He couldn’t.

“Just listen to your heart, Loki,” was Amora’s very helpful and not at all corny advice to him. “If you don’t want to be with him, then end it now before someone gets hurt. Because I’m telling you… I saw the way he looked at you, okay? He’s probably head over heels in love with you already.”

“He is not,” Loki insisted. Amora had no idea what she was talking about. Thor did seem to like him, yes. Loki wasn’t blind. He could see that, and he was also trying to use it to his advantage as much as possible. But love? No, Thor wasn’t in love with him. He was just attached, and Loki knew the feeling. Maybe the best thing to do at this point was for both of them to back off for a while before this got any worse?

Of course, that was easier said than done. Thor called him two days later and Loki quickly realized that he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He couldn’t tell him that he had been thinking about the future, a future they would not share.

The two of them ended up talking for about an hour before Thor had to go and get ready for the show.

“Make sure you win the match,” Loki told him, and Thor chuckled heartily.

“I’ll try. For you.”

Thor did end up winning the match. And it was a pretty good one. He did some spectacular moves, leaping off the top rope to pin his opponent to the mat, and Loki couldn’t help but let out a quiet cheer when the referee counted to three and the bell rang. Thor stood back up again with a smile and hurried over to climb the ropes and do his usual pose. The audience cheered for him as well, and Thor high fived a couple of people on his way out. The camera followed him until he disappeared behind the stage, and Loki was just wondering if perhaps he should get something to drink - now that Thor’s match was over and he didn't have to pay attention - when there was a loud crash and a yell.

He barely had time to wonder what was going on before Thor had been thrown back out again. It wasn't just a little push either. No, it really did look like he had been thrown, and Thor hit the floor with a pained groan. Some of the audience members shouted loudly, and Loki immediately leaned closer to the TV, narrowing his eyes as soon as the Hulk came stomping out. He picked Thor back up again and threw him farther down the ramp, and the crowd booed him loudly as he proceeded to attack Thor. Normally, Thor probably would have been able to fight back, but he had just had a match and was obviously already tired. He did eventually manage to get a couple of punches in, but Hulk barely flinched. Instead, he picked him up and threw him against the steps leading up to the ring. Thor’s back collided with the side of what Loki had been told were steel steps, and he immediately collapsed next to them. Loki hissed. That looked like it really hurt. The commentators were talking loudly about what was happening, two of them saying that someone needed to put a stop to this brutal attack. Loki agreed. He knew it was all fake, but that didn’t stop him from worrying because Hulk looked like he wasn’t holding himself back in the slightest. He pushed Thor into the ring and quickly got in after him, and Thor stumbled as he tried to push himself up and put some distance between the two of them. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it more than a couple of steps before Hulk had grabbed him again.

“Is this your hero?” he shouted at the audience as he locked his arm around Thor's head. A big part of the audience was standing up now, booing and shouting loudly at him as he kept taunting both them and Thor. When he finally let him go, Thor couldn't even stand up. He fell down, another pained noise escaping him as he hit the mat. He didn’t even do anything to fight back when Hulk placed one of his big feet on top of his chest to keep him down. The Hulk’s music came on, and he breathed heavily as he looked out at the audience, seemingly not giving a damn about the way they were booing him. Loki was already seething when they cut to a backstage shot of Stark standing next to a big monitor, watching the scene unfold with his arms crossed over his chest and a pleased look on his face. Oh, that little… Loki clenched his hands into fists.

Hulk climbed back out of the ring, leaving Thor on his back, who still appeared to be unconscious. They cut to another commercial break just as the medical staff reached the ring, and Loki grabbed his phone, almost tempted to ask Thor if he was okay. Fake or not, he’d looked like he was really hurt.

In the end, he didn’t have to do anything. Thor texted him twenty minutes later, asking him if he’d seen it, and Loki pressed his lips together as he wrote his response.

‘If you don’t kill him I will.’

‘Which one?’ That was a good question. He wanted to kill them both, but if he had to pick one it would have to be Stark. He wasn’t sure how much damage he would be able to do to Hulk, but even though Stark was a former wrestler, he wasn’t actually that big. He was sure he would be able to hurt him. At least a little. Besides, he didn’t necessarily have to use his fists. There were other ways, as long as they met outside of the ring.

‘Stark. I can’t even describe how much I dislike him.’

‘I have next Monday off because of them. I’m not complaining.’

Loki immediately wanted to know why he would have the Monday off, and Thor explained to him that they were making him miss one Raw in order to really sell his injuries. As he pointed out, it would make no sense for him to get beaten up like that and then come back next week looking like everything was fine.

‘But when I do come back you better be watching’, Thor told him, and Loki let him know that he would try. There was no way he would miss it, though. He didn't care if he would have to watch it a couple of hours or even days after it had aired. He really wanted to know if Thor was going to try to get back at The Hulk. Again. They certainly had been having a lot of matches, though it had been... at least two weeks since their last one. 

October arrived just a couple of days later, and Loki was happy to notice that it was finally getting a bit colder. He could even wear a jacket without feeling like he was going to die from a heat stroke, which was certainly an improvement. Amora was already talking about what she should wear for Halloween, and Loki told her to just get over it and be a slutty nurse or something. As for him, he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to be anything for Halloween. Amora had told him he should come along to whatever party she was going to, but he had turned her down. He didn’t really feel like going to any parties, especially not when he would be forced to dress up. 

Thor seemed like he was enjoying his time off. As for Loki... He was a little miffed. He didn't understand why he hadn't jumped on a plane to New York the moment he'd found out about this rare opportunity. How could he not want to see him again? Well, it did sound like he was busy with something else, though he hadn't told him exactly what he was up to, and Loki didn't ask. He supposed that Thor was allowed to keep some things from him.

When he finally came back to Raw, it was in the middle of the show. The audience must have missed him, even though he had been gone for no more than two weeks, because they cheered loudly as soon as his music hit and the arena went dark. Loki came close to cheering as well when the lights turned back on and Thor was standing on stage, even though he hadn’t missed him as much as they clearly had. They had called and texted each other plenty of times.

Thor slowly made his way down the ramp, not wearing his usual smile as he stepped into the ring and grabbed the microphone someone handed over to him. He shook his head as he postioned himself in the middle of the ring, placing his free hand on his hip as he waited for the audience to quiet down.

“Two weeks ago, I was attacked,” Thor began, not a trace of humor in his voice as he addressed the crowd. “I was attacked, beaten until I could barely stand up, and left right here inside this ring. The _beast_ who did it is nothing short of a coward. He waited until he knew I would be too tired to fight back, because he's scared. He's seen what I can do to him, and he's scared to face me in a fair fight." Thor paused for a moment, clenching his jaw before he continued. "Now, I would like to ask that coward to come out here. I wish to speak with him, face to face, so that I can finally give him a piece of my mind.” He turned his eyes over to the stage. “Come on, Hulk. Come out here and talk to me, if you dare.” He dropped the microphone and continued to watch the stage as he cracked his knuckles, obviously readying himself for a fight just in case his opponent would not want to talk.

Finally, The Hulk's music came on, and Thor let his hands fall back to his sides as he waited for him to come out. Unfortunately, the man who did come out was a lot smaller, and wearing a lot more clothes. Loki groaned loudly as Stark walked out on stage, alone, hiding behind those sunglasses as he moved closer to the ring.

“Alright, simmer down,” he told the audience as they began to boo him, which of course only made them boo him even louder. “Look, Blondie. I realize you’re upset. I understand that, okay? But I don’t know what you want me to do about it.” He strutted up the stairs and climbed into the ring, keeping his free hand in front of him to make sure Thor would keep his distance.

Loki was hoping Thor would hit him anyway.

“I can’t always control the big guy’s actions, no matter how hard I try. And you have to believe me, I tried. He got upset, and he attacked you. That’s not my fault.”

“What are you doing out here, Stark?” Thor growled as soon as he had reached for his microphone. “I didn’t ask for you to come out here. I have nothing to say to you, and you're not the one I want an explanation from."

“Of course. You want to talk to him, right? Well, you can’t. He’s not here tonight, so I’m afraid you’ll just have to settle for me.” Stark grinned at him. 

“Oh, I’ll settle for you,” Thor said, and took a step closer to Stark, who immediately put his hand back up again.

“Let’s not do anything rash. You’re mad, you want revenge. We all get that, but what are you going to do about it?”

“I want a match,” Thor told him, taking another step closer to him. “At Hell in Cell.” There were some cheers coming from the audience, though not that many. Loki wondered if they were waiting for Stark’s reaction, or if they were simply tired of seeing Thor and Hulk fight each other. Or both.

“Is that so? Well, guess what, Blondie? It’s not your call. You don’t get to decide who you should or should not fight, so why don’t you-” This time, Stark was the one to get interrupted by someone else’s music, and both of them turned their heads to look at the stage. Maria walked out, dressed in her usual black dress and heels, looking like she was ready for a business meeting and not a wrestling show. She ignored the sounds coming from the audience and raised her eyebrows at the two of them.

“That's true, Stark,” she began. “Thor can't decide who to fight, but I can, and I think Thor happens to have a good point. It’s only fair that he should get to have a match against the one who attacked him, which is why I’m making it official. Thor and Hulk will have a match at Hell in Cell.” She paused. “ And it will be a cage match.”

Thor smiled triumphantly at her words, and Stark slowly turned back to him again as soon as Maria had left. “Oh, you’re going to regret that,” he told him, and shook his head before he turned around and left the ring. Loki was still hoping that Thor would attack him, but he simply stepped closer to the ropes and leaned against them as he watched Stark leave, a determined look on his face as his music began to play.

So no match for him. Oh, well. Loki was okay with it, even though he would have been much happier if Thor had been allowed to kick some ass. Specifically Stark’s ass. He deserved it. Maybe they could find a way to put him in the match as well? He was sure Thor would be able to beat them both. And if he needed some help… Okay, Loki wasn’t stupid enough to think he would stand a chance against either one of them. He would need a lot of training first. It was something he would actually consider doing, though, if it meant being able to kick Stark’s ass.

Thor called him later that night, sounding happy and nothing at all like what he had sounded like in the ring.

“Did you enjoy it?” he asked, and he sounded so excited Loki didn't have the heart to tease him about it.

“Yes, I liked it, but it could have been better.”

“Oh? You have suggestions, do you? Well, go ahead. Tell me. What should I have done differently?”

“You should have punched him in the face," Loki said, and nodded his head very seriously. "Or possibly kicked him in the crotch. Actually, I would like to do the second one. Can I?”

Thor laughed loudly on the other end of the line, and Loki couldn’t stop the pleased smile on his lips.

“I’ll tell him you said that. Alas, I have no control over that. But I’ll let them know that it’s something a lot of fans would like to see.”

“And you wouldn’t even be lying,” Loki pointed out. He hadn't been online in a while so he had no idea what people were saying, but he had a feeling he wasn’t the only one who would be ecstatic if Thor ended up kicking Stark’s ass. He had a feeling lot of other people would cheer as well.

“I don’t know if they’ll let me do it, though. I’m supposed to be a good guy. I can’t just attack someone who doesn’t even wrestle anymore. Maybe if he attacks me first… Yeah, then I could do it. I’ll tell Stark to punch me next time.”

That sounded like a very good idea to him. If that happened, Loki was pretty sure he would go online, find a gif or a video of it, and watch it over and over again. And he would definitely reward Thor with some phone sex. All in all, it would probably be the most satisfying thing that had happened to him in a long time. Everything he had done at work paled in comparison to Stark getting his ass kicked.

“Hey, I meant to ask you…” Thor interrupted his thoughts. “I didn’t watch the whole show. Did they say anything about Hawkeye?”

Loki frowned, and tried to think back on the last couple of hours. He hadn’t been paying attention the entire time, but he was pretty sure he hadn’t seen Hawkeye. As for whether someone had mentioned him… He couldn’t be sure.

“I don’t know. Why?”

“He’s out.”

“Out?” That made him none the wiser. He was out? Out of the closet? If so, Loki had to admit he would be shocked. Or had he simply been fired? What could he possibly have done to deserve that? He had always seemed like such a harmless guy. Then again, he was playing a character.

“He’s injured,” Thor told him. “He got hurt a couple of days ago. He was supposed to jump from the top rope, had a bad landing… He’s not going to be back for a couple of months. I still can't really believe it. I mean, he’ll be missed.”

Loki wished he could have said the same, because he was sure that was something Thor would have wanted to hear. It did seem like they were friends. To be honest, though, he wouldn’t have been watching wrestling if not for Thor. He could definitely enjoy the other matches, and he did like a couple of the wrestlers, but he didn’t think he would miss any of them if they disappeared. He definitely wouldn’t miss Hulk if he got hurt.

“That’s a shame.” He only managed to muster up about half the sympathy he had been aiming for, but he had a feeling Thor would understand. He must have known that he was the main reason he even watched these shows in the first place. “So,” he continued, and turned the TV off as he pushed himself up and headed into the bathroom. “A cage match?”

“Yeah. I guess It’ll be your first time watching one of those.”

“But I did see the one at… Wait, what was it called? There were a bunch of you in a big cage.”

“Elimination Chamber. Yeah, that's true. But this is different. There’s not going to be any other people involved, and no glass cages. Just me and Hulk, locked inside a big steel cage. It’s bound to be an extreme match.”

“Just don’t hurt yourself,” Loki told him and reached for his tooth brush. He didn’t want Thor to be gone for months. He would probably stop watching after the first week. Besides, he knew it could happen. Thor was far from indestructible. He had just gotten back from an injury the first time Loki had seen him, and he could remember Amora telling him that Thor had been gone for a couple of months.

“Are you worried about me?” Thor asked, and Loki was pretty sure he could hear the grin on his face. “You don’t have to be, I promise. Everything’s going to be fine. I’ll be fine.”

“I hope you’re right,” Loki said quietly, and moved his fingers through his hair to push it back. “It would be a terrible inconvenience if you got hurt. I would have to find someone else who would be willing to cook for me, and fuck me…” He tilted his head to the side. “I suppose it wouldn’t take me that long.”

“But they wouldn’t be as good as I am,” Thor insisted, and it was Loki’s turn to grin when he detected just a hint of jealousy in his voice.

“I don’t know,” Loki said. “I have almost forgotten what it feels like to have your hands on me. Perhaps you’re not as good as I remember you to be?”

“Are you trying to make me come over there again?” Thor asked. “It’s only been a couple of weeks. How can you have forgotten? Is it because the bruises have faded?”

“Partly,” Loki admitted, and pulled his pants down a bit so that he could study his hips. The bruises were gone, and so were the marks Thor had left on his neck. He had nothing to remember him by. Other than the shirt, of course. “I almost feel naked without them,” he added, and headed back into the bedroom to find Thor’s shirt, tapping his fingers against his chin as he tried to remember where he had put it.

“Well, I’ll have to give you some new ones the next time we see each other,” Thor told him.

“And when will that be?” Loki asked, bending down to look under the bed, smiling as soon as he spotted it.

“Soon,” Thor promised him. “Very soon.”

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, another chapter. There's a lot of wrestling in this one, but hopefully the ones of you who don't watch it will still be able to enjoy it. 
> 
> Oh, and I'm going to be really busy next week, so I don't know if I'll have time to write the next chapter. It all depends on how eager I am to ignore what I'm really supposed to be doing :)

Ever since he had found out that Thor would be in a cage match - or a Hell in a Cell match, which seemed to be its official name - Loki had been looking up videos of those kinds of matches on youtube. He wanted to get a better understanding of what they were like, and he also wanted to find out how common it was for the participants to get seriously injured. Not that he was worried. It wasn't about that.  He was sure Thor would be fine. He just wanted to make sure in case… He didn't want Thor to get hurt, okay? If Thor wasn’t around he would probably stop watching wrestling, and then what would he do every Monday and Thursday night? He would be forced to find something else to look forward to, and he wasn't sure what that would be. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, wrestling was actually a good way for him to forget about everything else that was currently going on in his life. Which, to be fair, wasn't much. He had Amora and he had his job. That was about it. He didn't dislike his job at the moment  though, which was a plus. He was actually enjoying it. A lot more than he had these last couple of months, at least. He was still working long hours, but he did have time to eat and because of that it didn't take him long to gain back the weight he had lost.  

Thor actually asked him about his eating habits one night, and Loki was pleased to inform him that he was back to his normal self. Thor seemed very happy about that. Almost relieved in a way, and Loki didn't understand why he spent so much time worrying about his health when he was the one who was about to compete in something called a Hell in a Cell match. If anyone was at the risk of getting hurt it certainly wasn't Loki. Not physically anyway.

Thor kept hinting that the match was going to be an extreme one, and Loki was tempted to ask if he thought he was in any way calming him down when he said that. Maybe Thor assumed he didn't care? Or maybe he was trying to find out if he cared or not? Either way, Loki was beginning to realize that he did care.  At least a little. Enough to hope there would be no serious injuries. He could handle some blood as long as Thor didn't break any bones. Well, he could break Hulk’s bones, just not his own. Or Stark’s. If he broke his arm, Loki promised himself that he would try his best to be nothing but nice to Thor. For at least a couple of days. Or possibly a whole month. 

In the following few weeks, Thor and Hulk had a lot of interactions. In fact, they seemed to be on screen at the same time more often than not. Hulk tried to attack Thor right after another match, but this time Cap came rushing out to help him. He forced Hulk to back off and grabbed Thor’s arm to pull him up as he watched him leave.

Hulk also taunted Thor with his briefcase whenever he got the chance, telling him he would become champion before he did and that he was getting worse in the ring, not better. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who had chosen to taunt Thor as much as possible. Stark seemed like he couldn't get enough of it. He ran into Thor quote a few times backstage, always with a snug look on his face as he told him he was going to lose. And Thor never did anything to him. They were usually alone, and he easily could have pushed him down or thrown him against a table, but he didn't. He didn't even kick him in the crotch and run like Loki had told him to do. He simply let him leave each and every time, and  Loki found himself getting more and more frustrated.

“Why are you just letting him walk away?” he asked one Monday after the show was over. He'd turned the TV off a while ago and was now sprawled out on the couch as he waited for Thor to give him a reasonable explanation.

“Because I have to,” Thor told him. “Stark’s not the one I'm fighting, it's Hulk, and I have to save my punches for him. But I told Tony what you'd like to do to him and he says you're more than welcome to come backstage the next time you attend a show. He'd love to meet you.”

Loki raised his eyebrows in surprise and pushed himself up a bit as he thought about what he would do to Stark if he ever did get to meet him. He had a feeling he wouldn't actually be allowed to kick him in the crotch, but if he happened to do that anyway he had a whole team of lawyers standing by ready to defend him. He was sure he could get away with it. Really, he didn't care what it would cost him. It would be worth it. 

The end of October was drawing closer, and Loki wasn't sure whether to be anxious or excited. Most of the time, he was feeling a bit of both. When it was time for the last Raw before Hell in a Cell, Thor called him to make sure he would be watching. Loki immediately wanted to know what was so important about this particular show, even though he had clearly intended to watch it either way, and Thor let out a suspicious chuckle.

“Oh, you’ll see. Just… trust me on this, okay? You’re going to want to watch it. I think you’ll find it very satisfying.”

Loki’s eyes widened, and he hurried into the living room to make sure the TV was on, even though he still had another hour left before the show was supposed to start. “What’s going to happen?” he asked as he sat down and reached for the remote. “Are you finally going to punch him?”

“I’m not telling you,” Thor said. “Sorry, but… I think it should be a surprise.” What a bore. Loki wanted to know right now. He even went online just in case there would be any rumors or spoilers available, but he couldn’t find anything to do with Thor or the Hulk, at least nothing that wasn’t about their match at Hell in a Cell, and he didn’t care about that right now.

When the show finally started, Loki had put his phone down next to him, ready to reach for it should he need to send Thor a text. First, Cap came out to talk for a while, and then there were two matches he didn’t really care about. Really, the only thing he did care about tonight was Thor. He tapped his foot against the floor as he waited for him to finally show up, but he didn’t. There was no music, and no backstage appearance, and Loki was quickly running out of patience. More than half the show had gone by when they showed a shot from the parking garage, and Loki frowned as a red, expensive looking car pulled up. He groaned a second later when Stark stepped out of it, immediately telling the guy who was supposed to be his assistant that he wanted 'the usual' ready for him when he came to his office. What that usual was, Loki had no idea. Maybe a drink. Or a prostitute.

The camera followed him as he walked through the garage, and Loki was half expecting Thor to jump out from behind a truck and attack him. But he didn’t. Instead, Stark met up with Hulk, and together the two of them discussed what to do about Thor. Stark did most of the talking, Hulk simply nodding along as they walked through the hallways. Eventually, they were stopped by one of the backstage interviewers, who asked them about their plans for Hell in a Cell, and Tony offered her a sickening smile as he told her his client would not be sharing his plans with anyone.

“Let me ask you a question for a change,” he said, and promptly stole the microphone from her. She didn’t even try to take it back, probably too intimidated by the Hulk’s presence to risk upsetting Stark. “How do you expect us to win if we just hand out our strategies? You really think Thor isn’t going to see this? You don’t think he’s watching our every move, trying to find out what our weaknesses are?” She opened her mouth to answer, but he held up his hand to stop her. “I changed my mind. I don’t want an answer.” He handed the microphone over to Hulk before walking away, and Hulk gave her a look before he tossed it aside. What a bully. Loki rolled his eyes at his weak attempts at upsetting her. So she had lost her mike. Big deal. She didn’t even look upset, just annoyed.

There was another commercial break after that, and Loki reached for his phone, wondering if he should ask Thor when he was planning on showing up. He’d told him to watch so he obviously had to be there, but they only had about one hour left. That gave them enough time for… about two or three matches. He didn’t actually need Thor to be involved in a match, though. As long as he kicked Stark in the crotch, he would be satisfied.

There were two rather quick matches before the commentators finally announced that Hulk would be coming out next to make some sort of announcement. Loki glanced down at his watch. Twenty minutes left. Well, obviously Thor would have to come out during this segment, but what would he be doing? Would he attack Hulk in the ring, or would the two of them be throwing more insults at each other? 

Once they came back from yet another commercial break, Hulk and Stark were standing in the ring together, and Loki let out a long, overly dramatic sigh as he leaned back against the couch. He wasn’t going to have to listen to Stark talk, was he? He had a microphone in his hand. Damn. He did actually consider leaving the room for a bit, but what if Thor showed up in the middle of the segment? Hm. Well, he supposed he would hear his music if that happened. Deciding that it would be fine, he pushed himself up and headed into the kitchen, getting himself a glass of water while ignoring Stark’s voice. He was just about to take a sip when he heard another, much more familiar voice, and he put the bottle down and ran into the living room, stopping as soon as he was able to see the TV.

Thor’s face was on the big jumbotron over by the stage, and Stark and Hulk were both watching him with angry looks on their faces. He must have interrupted Stark in the middle of his promo, and Loki was already sad that he hadn’t gotten to see that part because he was sure the look on Stark’s face had been amazing.

“Perhaps you’re wondering why I’m not coming out to talk to you?” Thor asked, the camera following his every move as he walked through a dimly lit room. “Well, the thing is… I was walking around, thinking about how to get back at you for what you’ve been trying to do to me these past couple of weeks, when I found something…” He gave the camera a flashing smile, and slowly tilted his head to the side. “Why don’t you try to figure out where I am Stark? Go ahead. I’ll give you three guesses.” He walked past a couple of cars, and there was an excited cheer coming from the audience. They must have realized something Loki had not yet realized. Did they know what was happening?

Stark glanced over at Hulk before he slowly made his way over to the ropes, putting his hands on them and leaning forward as he continued to watch Thor. 

“I’m not in the locker room,” Thor continued. “And I’m not in the cafeteria. Where could I be?” He rubbed his beard with a thoughtful look on his face, slowly turning his eyes to the cars behind him. Well, he was obviously in the garage. But why would he… Wait. Loki narrowed his eyes. Where was he going with this? He got his answer a second later when the camera panned over to get a shot of the same red, expensive looking car they had shown before. The audience cheered loudly, and Stark's mouth dropped open as he stared at his beloved car. He stepped away from the ropes and walked around the ring with a hand in his hair, shaking his head before he turned back to the jumbotron.

“This is your car, isn’t it?” Thor asked as he put a hand on the hood and gave it a light pat. “It’s got to be. It’s the most ridiculous looking one here.”

“You get away from it!” Stark shouted, shaking the ropes as he glared at the big image of Thor over by the stage. “She cost more than you make in a year!” It was no use, though. Thor couldn’t hear him, and he probably wouldn’t have stopped even if he had. Loki moved closer to the TV and sat down on the floor in front of it, not wanting to miss a moment as he wondered what exactly Thor was planning. Was he going to steal it? Or was he going to do something to it? Once again, he got his answer just a moment later. Thor stepped behind the car and reached for something, and the audience screamed louder than ever when he lifted his hammer. So he was definitely doing something to the car. Loki felt about as excited as the audience sounded, and he leaned forward, his heart beating a little faster as he waited for Thor to make his move.

“It’d be a shame if something happened to it, wouldn’t it?” Thor asked the camera, and grinned as he raised his hammer, not wasting a second before he smashed one of the windows. Loki had to bite his bottom lip to stop himself from making an excited noise, but then he realized he was alone and there was no one around to judge him. Stark had an outraged look on his face by now, and Hulk seemed angry as well as he turned his eyes to him, probably waiting for some kind of instructions since he was clearly too stupid to do anything on his own.

The audience screamed and chanted Thor's name as he walked around the car, smashing each of the windows, and Loki couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the silly oaf when he began to hum. It was the same tune he had hummed when he had been cooking for him, and he wondered if that was a special treat for him, or if he simply didn’t know any other songs. Either way, Loki watched the whole thing with bright eyes and a grin on his face, wishing he could have been there to see Stark’s face in person. Once Thor began to hit the head of the hammer against the roof, Stark looked like he had given up. He wasn’t barking at Thor to get away from his car anymore, he was just watching it happen, an almost sad look on his face as he waited for it all to be over.

The audience would not quiet down as Thor continued to destroy the car, hitting his hammer hard enough to make more than a few dents. Hulk turned back to Stark again, who seemed to have checked out several minutes ago. Hulk shouted something at him, probably asking him what to do, and Stark waved his hand at him, motioning for him to go. A second later, Hulk had made it out of the ring and was running down the ramp, disappearing backstage. They cut back to Thor, who was still going at it, winking once at the camera before he hit the hammer against the roof one last time. He let the hammer go for now, and walked around Stark's car to reach for something else, which turned out to be a white bucket. This time, he climbed up on top of the car, and showed the green paint that was inside the bucket to the audience.

“I figured maybe you’d like a different color?” he said, but didn’t have time to do anything before there was a loud shout coming from somewhere in the background. The camera panned over to show Hulk running towards the car, looking like he was ready to kill. Thor stayed right where he was, and Loki was almost shouting at him to get away from there when he realized what he had wanted to do. Hulk came to a sudden stop, letting out a disgusted shout when the green paint hit him. It ran down his head and his chest, and was quickly covering a big part of his upper body. Before he could snap out of it, Thor jumped down from the car and spurted away from there. Loki was wondering if they were about to chase each other through the arena, but then someone on a motorcycle - someone he soon realized was Cap - stopped long enough for Thor to get on, and they drove away from there before Hulk was able to reach them.

The audience was shouting happily, while Hulk let out an angry huff, turning back to the car once Cap and Thor were out of sight. The camera stayed on him for a while longer as he tried to wipe the green paint away, before they finally cut back to Stark, who looked close to tears as the show came to an end. As soon as it was over, Loki took a deep breath and tried to calm down, feeling almost exhausted because of everything he had just witnessed. That had been better than a kick to the crotch. Much better. The look on Stark’s face had been incredible, and Thor had looked very hot swinging his hammer like that.

He was still buzzing with excitement half an hour later, which was when he got a text from Thor.

‘That was all for you.’ Loki smiled at that, and quickly stood up and made his way over to his bedroom.

‘Are you alone right now?’ He felt like that performance deserved some kind of reward, and even though he wasn’t there to touch Thor, he was going to make sure to give him one hell of a night. He would probably be tired in the morning, but it would be worth it. No matter what, Thor had certainly earned it. 

That Sunday it was finally time for Hell in a Cell. Amora had asked if he wanted to watch it with her, but Loki had turned her down. He knew there was a chance he would be worrying about Thor and he didn't want her to see that. There was no reason for him to bring that kind of teasing on himself. She already had plenty of material to work with. He didn't need to give her any more. 

When the show started he was sitting on his couch with a bowl of popcorn on his lap, already wondering when Thor’s match was going to start. He didn't have to wonder for long, though. The commentators were quick to infom the fans that the match between Thor and Hulk was going to be the main event, and Loki was happy about that. Obviously he wasn't happy about having to wait until the end of the show, but at least this way he knew about it, and... Thor deserved to be part of the main event. He was clearly the best wrestler on the roster.

The show was only supposed to be three hours long, but it felt like he had to wait a lot longer than that. He didn't care about Cap or Mystique or any or the other wrestlers. He just wanted to get to Thor and he wanted Thor to show Hulk that he would never be able to beat him again. Finally, the commentators were saying that it was time for the main event, but Loki let out a long sigh when he had to sit through yet another commercial break. Once they were back on, they showed a video containing quotes and clips from the last few weeks, to remind everyone of why this match was happening and also to get them excited about it. They showed Hulk attacking Thor and Stark telling Thor he was going to regret making the match happen. They also showed Thor wrecking Stark’s car, and even though Loki had already seen it about a thousand times (partly because he'd spent some time on youtube and partly because they'd showed it so many times already) he could never get sick of it. They ended the video with a shot of Thor and Cap driving off and Stark standing along in the ring, and then the arena went dark.

As usual, the fans screamed as soon as the lightning hit and Thor showed up on stage. Loki patted his hand against his thigh to the beat of his theme, and smiled as soon as Thor started to walk. He was carrying his hammer over his shoulder, and the crowd seemed even more excited once they noticed that. Thor stopped in front of the big cage and looked to be steeling himself before he entered it. He didn't do his usual posing on the ropes, instead he put his hammer away for now and cracked his knuckles as he kept his eyes on the stage. There was a determined look on his face as Hulk’s music came on, though Loki was sure he had to be at least a little nervous. Hulk didn't look nervous, though. Only confident. The smug look on his face was overshadowed, though, by the man walking next to him. Stark had a smirk on his lips as he watched Thor, and he took the briefcase from Hulk before he motioned for him to get inside the cell, whispering something before making his way over to the other side.

Loki eyed them both suspiciously, hoping they didn’t have something planned. Thot really needed to win this one, okay? Loki was sick of him practically never winning a single pay-per-view match. Though he had won against Hulk in the past. Clearly, he had to be able to do it again. He didn't care how big he was, Thor was still the better wrestler out of the two, and he was sure most people thought the same thing. 

The door to the cage was locked, and Hulk and Thor looked at each other as they waited for the match to begin.

“How does it feel to be locked in here with me?” Hulk asked, and Thor simply raised his brows at him in return, a somewhat predatory look on his face as he continued to watch him. As soon as the bell rang, the two of them moved forward, putting their hands on each other’s shoulders as they fought for control. Hulk managed to get the upper hand, and he easily tossed Thor aside. The two of them shared another look before Thor rushed forward, ducking when Hulk tried to take a swing at him, and attacking him from behind. The two of them fell to the mat, and Thor proceeded to punch his face, getting several hits in before Hulk managed to push him off. It took several minutes for him to get Thor out of the ring, but when he did he threw him so hard that he hit the steel cage. Thor got up at once, though, and quickly moved back inside.

Next time, it was Hulk’s turn to be thrown outside. He didn't hit the cage, though, and Loki gave his TV a disappointed look. Thor seemed a little disappointed by that as well, and he watched him for a second before he rushed over to the opposite side of the ring, bouncing off the ropes and then running back. He threw himself over the top rope and landed on Hulk, using his hands against his chest to push him against the cage. Loki let out a pleased sound, though he wasn't partcularly pleased when the camera stayed on Stark’s face for a moment. He was sitting next to the commentators, the briefcase by his side as he watched the match behind his yellow shades. All that was missing was a drink in his hand. And possibly someone feeding him grapes.

Thor and Hulk continued to toss each other against the steel cage, which rattled heavily each time they hit it. Hulk picked Thor up and held him high over his head, looking like he didn’t have to try at all as he proceeded to simply drop him. Thor hit the hard floor with another groan, and Loki tried to ignore the knot in his stomach as he watched him open his eyes.

Meanwhile, the Hulk began to search for something under the ring, and Loki held his breath as he waited to find out what it was. It wasn’t some kind of trap, was it? No, it was just a table. He set it up outside of the ring and threw a glance down at Thor before he stepped over to him and hoisted him up. He placed him on top of the table, giving him one last punch and climbing back into the ring. This wasn’t the first time Loki had seen Hulk try to smash Thor through a table, and he desperately hoped that Thor would be able to get away in time. Some of the audience members stood up as Hulk climbed up to the top rope, an unusual look for him since he was a little too big to be using the ropes at all. Nevertheless, he turned his eyes to Thor, and Loki could feel his whole body tense up as he jumped. While he was in the air, Thor opened his eyes again, and he used the few seconds he had to roll out of the way. It was far too late for Hulk to do anything about it at that point, and he smashed through the table a moment later, breaking it in half. The audience cheered, and even Loki let out another pleased sound. Now they were both lying on the ground, their chests rising and falling rapidly as they cut to another commercial break.

Loki supposed that would give them a moment to rest. He didn’t get any rest, though. He simply waited for the show to get back on, only sending a short text to Amora to let her know he was watching it and that he wasn't worried at all. When it came back on, they were back in the ring. Thor was on his stomach, and Hulk was slowly approaching him with a chair in his hands. How did this happen? Thor had been okay just a moment ago. Loki gave his television screen a disapproving look, and crossed his arms over his chest with a loud huff as soon as they showed him the happy look on Stark’s face.

Hulk proceeded to hit the chair against Thor’s back, again and again, and Loki flinched each time it made that loud sound. Stark had gotten up from his own chair, and was now moving closer to the cage, a gleeful look on his face as he watched Thor being assaulted. “That’s what happens when you try to mess with us!” he yelled out. “Come on, finish it!” Hulk tossed the chair aside and pulled Thor up, easily lifting him over his shoulders. But before he could do anything else, Thor began to squirm and kick, doing everything he could to get away from him. Hulk was forced to let go, and Thor pushed him aside before he delivered a kick to his chest. Hulk stumbled away from him, and Thor took a moment to breathe before he ran forward, sending them both out of the ring. And then there was another commercial break. Damnit. But this had to be the last one. They only had fifteen minutes left before the show was supposed to be over.

When it came back on, Thor and Hulk were still fighting outside of the ring. They were throwing punches, neither of them getting the upper hand. Eventually, Hulk managed to grab onto Thor, and he headbutted him before pushing him into the pole at the corner of the ring. Loki winced once more, because it looked like Thor actually hit it. He fell down to his knees, a pained expression on his face as he tried to push himself back up again. Once the camera man managed to get a shot of his face, Loki coulddo nothing to hold back the gasp that left his lips. He was bleeding. Thor was _bleeding_. His forehead must have collided with the steel pole, because there was now a lot of blood on it. Thor reached up and tried to wipe it away with the back of his hand, and Loki narrowed his eyes in concern. They needed to end this match quickly. He didn’t care if Thor would win or lose at this point, he only cared about someone making sure he was alright. And he knew they would never stop the match because of something like this. This was nothing to them. This probably wasn't even a concern. After all, he had heard of wrestlers finishing matches with broken legs or even necks.

After the two of them had simply looked at each other for about half a second, Hulk moved forward and grabbed Thor's arms again, throwing him back inside the ring. He ended up on his stomach, and when he raised his head there were spots of blood on the otherwise white mat. Loki held his breath as Thor got up just in time to hit Hulk’s chest several times, hitting him once on the head as well before he pushed him over to the other side of the ring, where he fell against the ropes. Thor tried to get rid of some of the fresh blood, but ignored it a moment later and chose to run forward and hit the side of his body against Hulk. After that, he stepped up on the bottom rope and hit Hulk’s head several times. He had been at it for at least a minute when Hulk stood up, turning them both around and making sure that Thor was stting on the top rope.

When Hulk began to climb, Loki held his breath again. Thor was already hurt. Why would they do such a dangerous move now? He could see the audience members standing up as soon as they were both on the top rope, and Loki almost wanted to close his eyes as he watched the two of them prepare for the move they were about to make. All three commentators screamed loudly when Hulk jumped, though something strange must have happened while they were in the the air, because Hulk was the first to hit the mat, and it looked like he was in a lot more pain than Thor was. Loki blinked confused eyes at the screen, not sure what had happened. The move had been much too fast for him. Luckily, they showed it again, and he frowned in concentration as he watched Thor spin around and somehow switch their positions. He still wasn't entirely sure how he had been able to do that, the only thing he did know was that it had obviously been a pretty complicated move.

The landing had obviously hurt him as well, though, and both of them were lying on different sides of the ring, breathing heavily as the audience chanted ‘Holy shit!’ over and over again. As they stayed there, a doctor was let inside the ring, and he hurried over to Thor’s side, doing his best to wipe the blood off his forehead. Thor quickly pushed him aside, though, assuring him that he was fine. Loki immediately scoffed at that. He wasn't fine. He was still bleeding, and someone needed to make sure he was alright. But Thor was a stubborn bastard who clearly didn't agree with him. He pushed himself up and turned his eyes over to the Hulk, who still wasn't moving. The audience quickly began to chant something else, and it took Loki a moment to hear what it was. He was pretty sure they were chanting ‘Get your hammer’. Or something like that. Either way, Thor smirked and rolled out of the ring, getting his hammer and lifting it up as soon as he had made it back inside. The Hulk was just trying to get back on his feet, and Thor let the hammer drop as he made his way forward. Loki wasn’t sure why. Why would he drop the hammer now? He was planning on using it, right? 

Nevertheless, Thor stalked forward and grabbed Hulk’s arm, using it to push him against the ropes and hitting his chest once more. Hulk did fight back, and the two of them went back and forth for too long before Thor finally managed to get him up on his shoulders. He threw him down on the mat, and Loki expected him to try to pin him, but he didn’t. Instead, he reached for his hammer again and climbed up to the top rope. The fans were on their feet in an instant, and Thor raised his hammer into the air, letting out a yell before he jumped forward, letting the hammer collide with Hulk’s chest when he landed. This time, he did pin him, draping himself over Hulk's lifeless body as he waited for the count. The referee dove to the mat and hit his hand against it. One, two, three.

Loki could do nothing to stop the excited yell that slipped past his lips, and he decided not to hold back a smile as Thor pushed himself up on his feet and grinned triumphantly. His music started playing again, and Thor kept his hammer in his hand as he left the cage as soon as they had opened the door for him. Stark had also gotten back up on his feet, and the audience screamed when Thor turned his eyes to him, the grin leaving hs lips. Stark backed away with his hands held up as a sign of surrender, and Thor took a couple of steps closer, but then turned around and walked away from there with a smirk on his lips. Loki didn’t even have it in himself to feel disappointed about that. He was just so happy that Thor had actually won. Stark hurried inside the cage and into the ring to check on Hulk, still clutching the briefcase to his chest. Loki sniggered at that, but the happy smile was back on his face when Thor raised his hammer into the air one last time, the audience cheering as Thor posed and the show came to an end.

Loki sat back as soon as it was over, taking several deep breaths. Wow. He’d actually won. Thor had won a match. Loki felt like he wasn’t used to it. He’d lost so many of his more important matches. But not this one. He’d actually been able to beat Hulk. Again. Hopefully, that would teach both him and Stark not to mess with him ever again. Even if he had won the match, though, he had still been bleeding, and Loki could have sworn he’d seen a bit of a limp as Thor had walked over to the stage. He hoped he was okay. Either way, he was sure Thor would text him soon. That’s what he usually did. 

But this time, Thor didn’t text him. When an hour had gone by, Loki was beginning to wonder if Thor had been more seriously injured than he had first thought. If not, then why wasn’t he texting him? He had to realize that he would be… wondering. Loki remained on the couch with his phone in his right hand, gripping it tightly while he waited for Thor to send him a text to let him know he was alright. He let another twenty minutes pass before he decided he needed to do something about this. He couldn’t spend the rest of the evening wondering, and he wasn't sure he would be able to go to sleep like this.

‘You’re not still bleeding right? If you are just tell me and I’ll come over there and make them pay.’ He sent that, and spent the next two minutes anxiously tapping his fingers against his phone before it finally buzzed.

‘You really think you could do that?’

Loki rolled his eyes. He was joking? Instead of answering his question to let him know he was fine, he was trying to tease him? Well, he certainly hoped that meant Thor was alright.

‘Just answer the question,’ he sent back.

One minute later, he got not just a text, but a picture to go along with it. It was a picture of Thor, sitting on what appeared to be an exam table. He was using one hand to hold some kind of cloth against his forehead, and the other to give him the thumbs up.

‘Everything’s fine. But thanks for worrying about me.’

Loki quickly opened his mouth, and was about to assure Thor that he hadn’t been worrying about him at all, when he realized two things. First of all, Thor would not have been able to hear him, and second of all, even if he would have been able to hear him, Loki was sure he never would have believed him. Why waste time trying to deny something they both knew to be true? As so, he closed his mouth again and wrote something a little shorter than he had originally planned, briefly wondering if it would make Thor smile. 

‘Shut up.’

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrestlers love to wreck cars, don't they? They can be a lot more extreme than this too. If you want to watch a fairly recent example of what can happen, [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH4HGliqZdQ) is a video of Brock Lesnar having some fun.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said I wasn't sure if I would have time to post a chapter this week. Well, clearly this was a lot more fun than the other stuff I'm supposed to be doing. And I've already started working on the next chapter. What can I say? Yay for avoiding responsibilities!
> 
> Oh, and the angst tag has now been added to this fic. So... Yeah. This chapter is a bit angsty. But is anyone surprised? It is about Thor and Loki, after all.

Luckily, Thor was nice enough not to bring up the fact that he had been worried about him again. He didn’t ask him about it, and he didn’t tease him about it, which he so easily could have done. It was a good thing, too, because Loki had a feeling he would have been pissed at him for days. Thor didn’t say a word about it, though. Whenever he talked about that night, he mentioned nothing but the match. The only time he as much as hinted at the texts Loki had sent him was when he told him the bleeding had been nothing, really. He’d suffered through a lot worse than that before. Loki didn’t want to know what else had happened to him in the past. He knew about the one injury, but that was it. And that was all he needed to know. If he heard about anything else, there was a chance he would tell Thor to stop wrestling before he got himself killed, and he knew very well that would turn into an argument.

Thor and Hulk’s feud seemed to be over, at least for now, and Thor moved on to other things the very next night. Stark wasn’t even on Raw, and Loki secretly hoped he was so upset about the loss and lack of revenge he wouldn’t show up for another couple of weeks. It would be a lot easier to sit through these shows without getting upset and annoyed if he wasn’t around. Hulk didn't even bother him as much when he wasn't accompanied by a smug looking manager, and Loki found himself enjoying the next couple of shows a lot more. 

Halloween was only a few days away now, and Thor called him one night to ask him if he had any plans. Loki was quick to assure him that his only plan was to stay home. Maybe he’d watch a horror movie or something, but he certainly wasn’t dressing up.

“That’s a shame,” Thor said, and he actually did sound rather disappointed. “I would’ve loved to see you in a costume.”

Loki cocked his head to one side and considered his words. “And what would you have wanted me to wear?” he asked.

Thor let out a laugh, and Loki raised a brow as he waited for him to respond, not sure what exactly he was laughing about. Was he imagining him in some silly costume?

“I don’t think that would’ve been up to me,” Thor pointed out, which he was of course right about. If Loki had been forced to dress up, he would have found his own costume. Perhaps he would have kept Thor in mind as he picked it out, but he would never have allowed him to choose one for him. Who knows what kind of costume he would have ended up wearing? “And honestly… I don’t care. I’d just like to see you in... well, any costume.”

“What about you?” Loki interrupted him, hoping to divert Thor's attention and make him stop thinking about him wearing any kind of costume. Thinking about Thor was so much more interesting “Are you dressing up?”

“Probably,” Thor told him. “I mean, it’s a Saturday, and we have the day off. Right now it seems like a bunch of us might be going out together. The ones of us who don’t have kids, anyway.”

“Does that include Stark?” Loki asked. He didn’t know if he had kids or not, but he certainly hoped he didn’t. Those poor children. How would they ever be able to get any attention when their father was one of the biggest divas ever? Besides, he couldn’t really see him as the fatherly type, and that had nothing to do with his dislike of Stark.

“Yes, it does,” Thor confirmed. “Why? Do you have any suggestions? I don’t know if he has a costume yet, so if there’s anything you want me to tell him…”

“Tell him to dress up as an arrogant prick,” Loki said, brushing some dirt off his pants as he tried not to smile. “That should be easy for him.”

Thor laughed again. In fact, he didn’t stop for quite a few seconds, and Loki had to admit he was a little pleased by it. “I’ll tell him that.”

Loki stayed true to what he had been saying since the very beginning of the month. He ended up home alone on Halloween. By choice. Amora texted and called him several times, trying her best to convince him to change his mind, but Loki refused to come with her. He didn’t have a costume anyway. Besides, he didn’t _want_ to go. He was just fine with staying home and watching that horror movie he had mentioned to Thor.

Amora sent him several pictures throughout the night. She hadn’t told him what kind of costume she would be wearing, and he was very amused when he realized that she was dressed as a female wrestler. It looked a lot like Karnilla's outfit. Loki couldn’t help but wonder if that was because she had gotten the chance to kiss Thor on TV. Luckily, that particular storyline seemed to have ended as quickly as it had begun. The kiss had been mentioned, but not shown, and there had only been incredibly brief interactions between the two, probably because Thor had been far too busy with his other storyline. When it all came down to it, she just wasn’t as important as the Hulk.

Amora wasn’t the only one who sent him pictures that night. Thor did as well. And not just of himself. He had chosen to dress up as a blond, incredibly buff Jack Sparrow, and Loki had to admit that the eyeliner made him look surprisingly hot. It made those blue eyes stand out even more. Cap was Superman, which Loki had to laugh at because for some reason that just fit, didn’t it? He had actually seen him being called the Superman of the WWE universe a couple of times, as a matter of fact. Maybe he was making fun of that? If so, Loki was impressed. He actually had a sense of humor. Who knew?

He also got to see some of the other wrestlers. Hulk was Frankenstein’s monster, which seemed perfect for him because he wouldn’t have to talk much. Stark was Gomez from the Addams family, which Thor had to explain to him. He looked pretty much like his usual self. He was wearing a pinstripe suit, and he had posed for the picture with a cigar in his right hand, and his signature smug smile on his lips.

He got a picture of Black Widow as well, and it took him a moment before he realized she was dressed up as Daphne from Scooby Doo. Thor explained to him that Hawkeye was supposed to have dressed up as Fred, but since he was injured… Well, there wasn’t much they could do about it. He had to stay home. Loki supposed that was… unfortunate, but from what he could see when he studied the pictures, she looked to be having a good time nevertheless.

He wasn’t sure if any other wrestlers were there with them. He saw a lot more people in the background of the pictures, but since all of them were dressed up it was impossible to tell. All he could hope was that no one else thought Thor looked as hot in that costume as he did. But what were the odds of that? Of course they would think he was hot. But even if someone chose to flirt with him, Loki felt like be was… mostly confident enough to believe that Thor would turn them down. He felt like he had managed to make him interested enough to remain loyal to him. At least for now.

After a while, Thor stopped sending him pictures, and  Loki figured he might as well go to bed. The movie had ended a long time ago. He still had some popcorn left, but he decided to leave those behind as he headed into his bedroom. The next day, Thor sent him a text to let him know he'd made it back home, and offered to keep his costume ‘if he'd liked it’. Loki snorted at that, but did actually consider his proposition for a moment. Did he really want them to start wearing costumes already? Hm. It was a bit too early for roleplaying, wasn't  it? He was still getting used to being with _Thor_. Besides, that was the costume he wanted to get familiar with first. He wanted to have sex with Thor while he was still in his wrestling outfit. The fact that they hadn’t even discussed that yet was an outrage, and Loki promised himself that he would bring it up at some point.

It was difficult to believe it was November already. It looked more and more like fall every time he stepped outside, andhe wasn't sure what to think when he realized that Thor and he had known each other for a couple of months now. It had been summer when they’d met. It felt like they had known each other for a lot less than that, and at the same time it felt like they had known each other for years. Either way, Loki was happy they hadn't gotten sick of each other yet. Then again, they hadn't exactly spent much time together. 

Thor called him one day, just as he returned home from work, and Loki fished his phone out of his pocket and smiled as he pressed the button to pick up. 

“I want you to come to another show.”

The smile quickly disappeared again, and Loki waited a moment before he said anything, wanting to make sure he'd heard that correctly. “You’re not asking me to leave the state again, are you? Because I don’t have time for that, Thor. We’re still busy.”

“No, not at all. I’m coming to New York. We’ll be in Buffalo for Raw, and then Long Island for Smackdown. I was thinking maybe you could come to one of them? Long Island would obviously be closer, but if you’d rather come to Raw… I think Raw would be better, but you can do whatever you want.” Was he actually nervous? He sounded almost… flustered, and Loki couldn’t quite decide how to feel about that. He was half tempted to tease him about it, but let that go in favor of trying to figure out whether he would actually be able to attend one of these shows.

“I don’t think I could go all the way to Buffalo,” he said, and shook his head. “But… I suppose I could attend Smackdown. I have one condition, though.”

“What’s that?” Thor asked.

“Actually, I have two," Loki changed his mind, and counted on his fingers. "You better have a match, and you better win it.”

“Deal,” Thor said at once.

So it was decided. He was going to attend another show. Loki was actually excited about it, even more than he had thought he would be. About some parts, at least. He wasn’t excited about the people he would have to surround himself with. He wasn’t excited about how loud they always were, or how stupid they all seemed to be (and yes, he could tell that just by looking at them). The only thing he was excited about was Thor. He wanted to watch him wrestle live again. He would get to see Thor move around the ring, working those muscles to his advantage, and he would get to hear him groan and possibly even roar. As far as he was concerned, it was definitely something to look forward to. Thor had even told him there was a chance he might bring him backstage after the show. He could get to meet some of the other wrestlers. Loki was… actually pretty excited about that as well. Surprisingly so, in fact. He definitely hoped Stark would be there. And Hulk. He felt like he should get to punch at least one of them. And he also wanted to see Cap again. He was sure he would be able to make him blush in about ten seconds. In fact, he even told Thor as much, and the two of them decided to bet on it. 

But he had two weeks left before he would get to see Thor again. Two weeks wasn’t a particularly long time, though. In fact, he felt like they just flew by. He still had a lot to do at work, which took up most of his days, but he wasn’t working too hard, and he was making sure to eat at least two times every day. He told Amora over and over again that she really had no reason to worry about him. She didn’t seem to trust him, but she eventually stopped nagging. He also asked her if she wanted to come with him to the show. It would be easier to deal with the other fans if he wasn’t alone. Unfortunately, she turned him down. She was going home to her parents to discuss some details about the upcoming wedding, and she couldn’t very well miss that. Alas, he would have to face the crowd on his own. He had a Raw to watch first, though.

Or maybe not.

He got stuck at work again. No less than three of his collegues had come down with… something. Loki hadn’t really paid attention to any of the details when he’d been told about it. The one thing he did know was that they’d lost three members of their team, which gave him even more to do. At least he wasn’t the only one who had to stay behind. They all did. As soon as he got a moment alone, he sent Thor a text to let him know he wouldn’t be home in time for Raw. Thor told him he could just watch it the next day, if he had time, and Loki immediately sighed because he wasn’t sure when exactly he was supposed to have time for it. He was going to be at work all day. At this point, he would be lucky if he managed to get away long enough to make it to Long Island.

When he finally got home that night, he was exhausted. He managed to watch a couple of minutes of Raw before he decided it wasn’t worth it, and he went to bed instead. The next day was pretty much the same. He was busy all day. They had started working on a relatively huge project last week, and it was unfortunate that they had lost three people. Hopefully, they would be back soon, because Loki didn’t understand how they were supposed to do this without them. He felt like he was working two jobs, except they both happened to take place in the same building. He was stuck on the phone for a large part of the day, so when his cell started buzzing after lunch he was forced to ignore it. It was only when he had another quick break that he picked it up and called Thor back.

“I hope you’re excited about tonight,” Thor said when he picked up. “You’re not going to get to see everyone, but a lot of us are still here.”

“What do you mean?” Loki asked, searching through some papers on his desk to find the one he needed, letting out a frustrated huff when he couldn’t see it. “Where else would you be?”

“Japan. They sent some of us over there for a... special show. But I’m still here. And so is Stark, so don’t worry about that. You’ll still get to meet him.”

“I have never been more excited in my life,” Loki muttered, finally picking up the paper he had been looking for and turning it over as he tried to read through it while still focusing on the conversation. “Can I at least try to punch him?”

“Sure, you could try. Just don’t expect him not to punch you back.”

“I think it would be worth it,” Loki pointed out, huffing as he put the paper down in front of him. “I just need to make sure I can actually come. We’re very busy over here.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Thor said. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours, okay?”

“Bye.” Loki hung up and put the phone away, throwing a glance at his watch before he reached for the papers he needed and left his office. 

As the hours passed, he began to spend more and more time with his eyes glued to his watch. He knew he had a meeting coming up, and all of this was giving him a major sense of déjà vu. He was cursed, wasn’t he? For some reason, the universe didn’t want him to go to another one of Thor’s shows. Why, he wasn’t sure. Then again, last time he had been lucky enough to run into Thor. What would happen this time? Well, he was about to find out. The meeting dragged on for thirty minutes longer than it should have, and after that he still had some things he needed to take care of before he could leave. He called Thor to let him know he was running late, deciding to also prepare him for the fact that he might not make it.

“How long have you been there exactly?” Thor asked, and Loki shrugged his shoulders.

“Since this morning. I haven’t been counting the hours.” It didn’t really matter at this point. He was most likely not going to make it, and there was nothing they could do about it, so why bother? 

“I’ll call you later.” He hung up again, gathering some papers and putting them all into a file before he headed over to the lawyers to discuss the latest developments. Soon enough, it became apparent that he wasn’t going to make it to the start of the show. There was an hour left, and then that hour turned into thirty minutes. Loki was frustrated, of course, but what could he do? He still had things to take care of. As much as he might have wanted to, he couldn't just leave. As the minutes ticked by, Loki forced himself not to yell as one of his co-workers asked about the ad they were putting together. The ad itself wasn’t even his responsibility, and yet for some reason they all looked to him to take care of everything. Did he just scream gullible bastard? He was clearly being taken advantaged of, because they knew… well, they clearly knew he was the smartest one there.

When the show had officially started, he picked up his phone and pressed the button to call Thor, knowing that he deserved to hear it from him, even though it should have been obvious by now. He had to wait about a minute for Thor to finally answer. Once he did, Loki spoke up before he got a chance to talk, preferring to get this over with as quickly as possible.

“I’m not going to make it to the show,” he said.

“Yeah, I got that,” Thor told him, not sounding as amused as he should have. “Look, I’m about to go out, but if you come over here I could still bring you backstage.”

“I think I’m just going to go home,” Loki said, shrugging his shoulders as he glanced down at his watch again. “I’m tired, I haven’t eaten, and… I am not in the mood to hang out with Stark right now. I need a shower.”

“Loki, this is ridiculous,” Thor said. “How many hours have you spent at that place? You can’t possibly have this much to do. It’s just one law firm, isn’t it?”

Loki let out an unamused laugh. “I wish. It’s more than one law firm, Thor. That’s where we do most of the work, yes and that’s where we have our… base, so to speak, but we do plenty of work for other places as well. We’re good at what we do. Well, some of us are, anyway. A lot of people want to work with us, because no one knows PR like we do. So yes, I’m a busy man, and sometimes I don’t have time to make it to stupid wrestling shows.”

Thor was silent for a moment, and before he could pretend to be hurt by that statement, Loki decided to continue.

“You can come over to my place later, if you want.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Thor said.

Finally, almost two hours later, he came to the conclusion that he’d had enough, and he told his co-workers to take care of the rest. He was leaving now, damnit. Deadline or no deadline, he refused to stay all night. As much as he didn’t want to agree with what Thor had said to him, he did realize that he couldn’t possibly be at work for more than… It had already been more than twelve hours, hadn’t it? Oh, well. At least he had gotten a lot of work done.

He headed back to his office to get his things before he left for the garage. As soon as he was inside his car, he let out a loud curse and wondered if Thor was angry. He really didn’t have any right to be. Loki had never promised to come to this show. It hadn't even been his idea. He had said that he would try to show up, yes, but Thor had to have realized by now that Loki was a busy man. If he was stuck at work, then he was stuck at work. It wasn’t his fault.

Unfortunately, he also managed to get stuck in traffic almost as soon as he had left the building, which gave him plenty of time to ask himself why he even bothered driving in the first place. He didn’t need it. Then again, what was the alternative? He had never been a big fan of the subway. Too many people, and too… No, it wasn’t for him. He could do it occasionally, but every day? No, that was not an option. And since he couldn’t teleport to work… Well, this seemed like a sensible option. Though perhaps he should have gotten a personal driver. He would still get stuck in traffic, but at least he wouldn’t have to worry about the driving. 

The line slowly moved forward, and Loki wasn't sure where all of these cars were even coming from. Maybe he wouldn't have been able to make it to Thor's show even if he had left the office on time? While he waited, he glared down at the stereo, not at all happy with the pop song they were currently playing on the radio. He started pressing the buttons, keeping one eye on the road as he tried to find something to listen to. Anything that wouldn't make his ears bleed. There were more pop songs, some rock, and then there were a couple of people just talking. Then it sounded like someone reading the news, even more pop songs, and then…

“...the famous professional wrestler, has died.”

Loki froze, and turned his eyes back down to the stereo, no longer caring about what was going on outside the car as he listened to the female voice. “He was brought to the hospital after what has been described as an unfortunate accident in the ring, but sadly his life could not be saved. It was-” Without thinking, he pressed the button to turn it off, shaking his head as he turned his eyes out the window.

_No_.

It couldn’t be. It had to be someone else. Anyone but him. Loki felt panic welling up inside of him, like a tidal wave, refusing to be stopped. He frantically tried to reason with himself. It couldn’t possibly be Thor. The show had just ended. He couldn't possibly have had enough time to die, could he? Yes, Loki knew it was idiotic of him to turn the radio off instead of listening to the whole thing, but what if they did say Thor's name? What if he found out that Thor was gone? There was a lump in his throat, one he had some difficulty getting rid of, and he told himself that now was not the time to cry. 

As soon as the line started moving again, he found the nearest place to park the car and reached for his phone. He pressed the button to call Thor and tried to ignore the rapid beating of his own heart while he waited for him to pick up. Come on. Come _on_. But he didn’t. He wasn’t picking up. He tried again, and again, but there was still no answer. Loki realized that his own hands were trembling when he lowered his phone and stared down at it. He felt sick. This could not be happening. His last conversation with Thor could not have been that one. No. Why couldn’t he just have gone to the show? He could have… But then what if he’d been forced to watch Thor get hurt? He wasn’t sure what was worse.

He forced himself not to pay any attention to the tears that were threatening to fall, and turned his eyes back to his phone. There was a simple way to find out the truth, he just wasn’t sure if he wanted to know. But he needed to know. He couldn’t keep wondering. He was just torturing himself at this point. After a deep breath, he used his phone to go online, biting down on his bottom lip while he searched for ‘dead wrestler’. It took him no more than a couple of seconds to find what he was looking for. He was faced with a lot of news stories, all of them mentioning that a famous professional wrestler had died. But it wasn’t Thor’s name. It was some other wrestler, one he did not even recognize.

Oh, thank God.

Loki leaned his head back and closed his eyes, trying to make his own breathing slow down as he let his phone fall back to the seat next to him. It took him about five minutes before he had finally calmed down enough to start the car again. He felt numb as he drove home. The shock of hearing those words and not knowing whether he was ever going to see Thor again had been too much for him. Just the thought of never getting to hear him talk, of never getting to see him smile… He tried his best to let go of those thoughts.

He slowly made it up to his apartment as soon as he was home, his hands still shaking when he unlocked the door. He immediately walked into the living room and sank down on the couch, staring at the wall as he tried to tell himself to give it a rest. Thor was fine. Everything was fine. It had been ridiculous of him to freak out without knowing for sure what had happened. And it was even worse of him to keep doing this. He had no reason to still be shaking. He supposed it could be because of the relief, though. In a way, the relief was almost as overwhelming as the shock had been.

After a while, he picked his phone back up and took the time to actually read one of the articles. Apparently, it was a slightly older wrestler who had died. Someone named Beta Ray Bill. Loki forced himself not to shake his head at the name. This guy had come with them to Japan, even though he was retired. He had gotten hurt while performing some sort of stunt, and then he had died at the hospital. Obviously it was sad that a person had lost his life, but Loki was so relieved that it wasn’t Thor that he couldn’t even focus on that right now. He wondered if this had anything to do with Thor not answering. Or perhaps he had simply been busy?

Eventually, Loki dragged himself away from the couch and headed into the bathroom for that shower he had been longing for all day. He felt much better when he stepped out, combing through his hair as he dried himself with a towel and got dressed in a comfortable pair of pants and t-shirt. He was just on his way into the kitchen when the doorbell rang, and he turned around and stepped closer to the door. Thor was standing on the other side of it, looking almost as tired as he felt. There was no smile on his face, and it was an almost eerie look for him, especially when Loki thought back to the smile he had worn on his lips the last time he had found him on his doorstep. Despite the look on his face, Loki still wanted to throw himself at him. He wanted Thor to wrap him in his arms and assure him he wouldn’t be going anywhere, but he didn't move, deciding they would have time for that later.

“Hey,” Thor said, and Loki stepped back to let him inside. Thor walked past him, a lost look on his face when their eyes met. “I wasn’t sure if I should come or not. I… I don’t know if you’ve heard, but…”

“I heard,” Loki told him flatly, closing the door before he motioned for him to follow him into the kitchen. He walked over to the fridge and pulled it open, studying the food for a moment before he closed it again. He could eat later.

“I still can’t believe it,” Thor said. He sat down, his shoulders sagging as he leaned forward and ran a hand over his face. “I just talked to Bill three days ago. He was so excited about going to Japan, and now…”

Loki watched him in silence for a moment, crossing his arms over his chest when he took a couple of steps closer.

“I thought it was you,” he said quietly as he stopped in front of Thor. “I heard it on the radio, but I must have missed the name, and I thought..” Thor looked back up at him. He raised his eyebrows when it became clear to him what he meant, and he gave him a short nod.

“I… I don’t know what to say to that. I’m sorry? Maybe I should have called you, but I was… I was focused on other things. I just… I don’t get it. We heard about it this morning, but they said he was going to be fine. They didn’t even tell us how serious it was. He should never have been performing that stunt in the first place.” Thor let out a long sigh, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck before he continued.

“I guess we’ll have some kind of tribute on Monday. He wasn’t even in the Hall of Fame, yet. I don’t…” He trailed off, and Loki furrowed his brow as he looked at him.

“You’ll still wrestle on Monday?” he asked, and Thor mirrored his frown when he turned his eyes back to him.

“Yeah, of course.”

Of course. As if he couldn’t possibly have expected anything else. No, of course not. Why would he expect them to maybe cancel the show for a week or so? Why would he expect Thor to take some time off after this? Why would he expect him to possibly reconsider everything he had to do inside that ring? Loki had always known it was a dangerous occupation. Ever since he had been looking up stuff online, he had read a lot about wrestlers getting injured in the ring, some of them badly enough that they could never wrestle again. He also knew that it wasn’t common for them to die, but… There was still a chance. _Clearly_ , there was a chance. Thor had already gotten hurt once, and that injury had been mild enough for him to be able to return after a couple of months. What if he wasn’t as lucky next time?

“Maybe you shouldn’t,” he said, and Thor immediately shook his head at him, giving him a harsh look as he stood up and stepped past him, walking closer to the stove.

“Loki, don’t.”

“Don’t what, Thor?” Loki asked, and turned around to look at him, still keeping his arms against his chest.

“Don’t try to talk me out of wrestling. Just don’t. I know what I’m doing. Besides, I’ve already heard it from my parents a thousand times. I don’t need it from you too.” Thor crossed his arms over his chest as well, and the two of them spent a couple of seconds glaring at each other. You easily could have cut the tension with a knife, but that wasn't going to stop Loki from getting his point across.

“Maybe you do need it,” he insisted. “I don’t want you to stop, Thor, but… Look at what’s happened lately. Hawkeye got injured so badly he had to leave. You ended up bleeding in your match against Hulk. And now someone is dead. And you still want to get back there on Monday?”

“I told you, I know what I’m doing,” Thor said, looking infuriatingly stubborn with those big arms crossed over his chest. “I know what I’m risking every time I step into that ring. I don’t need you to tell me. Yes, I could get hurt. Yes, I guess I could even die, but-”

“But what?” Loki interrupted him. “But you’re okay with that? You’re okay with dying?”

“Of course I don’t want to die,” Thor said, his voice getting a little louder as he spoke, his brow still furrowed as he watched him. “But that’s a risk you have to take in this business. And it’s not like it happens every day. Injuries, yes. Death? No. That doesn’t happen. Not in the ring.”

“It did this time,” Loki pointed out.

“Loki, stop,” Thor said again, his voice firmer this time. “Don’t you think it’s a little hypocritical of you to be badmouthing my job when your own doesn’t seem very healthy either? You work all day, and you barely have time to eat. You lost weight because of your job. I’m not saying you’ll drop dead at the office, but with all that stress… It can’t be good for you.”

“My job is nothing like your job,” Lok snapped at him, letting his arms fall back to his sides so that he could clench his hands into fists.

“You’re saying your job is better?” Thor asked. Loki wasn’t sure if he had meant it as a rhetorical question or not, though his lack of answer probably showed him how he felt about it. Thor straightened his back, and gave him a long look.

“Oh,” he said, and slowly tilted his head to the side. “So that’s how you feel, huh? I guess I should have known, but…” Loki could see him clench his jaw, but he simply kept looking at him as he waited for him to continue. “What about my job is so much worse than yours? Is it because I’m a wrestler? Because I make a lot less money than you do? Because you’re stuck behind a desk while I risk my body every time I go out there? What is it, Loki? Tell me what it is.”

“Because it’s not real!” Loki said loudly. The two of them seemed equally surprised by his outburst. They stared at each other, both of them speechless. The angry look on Thor's face disappeared, and was quickly replaced by a hurt one. For some reason, that only managed to make Loki even more annoyed. 

“Oh, don’t give me that look, Thor,” he snapped at him. “I’m just telling you the truth. I’m not saying that my job is better than yours, but I am saying that it’s not worth risking your life over something that’s not even real. You said it yourself, didn’t you? ‘It’s scripted’. That’s what you said. You laughed at me when I was upset about that kiss, so don’t you dare pretend to be hurt when I’m just repeating your own words.”

“I know that it’s scripted,” Thor said quietly. “And I’m not going to tell you that it’s real to me, but it’s not… Yes, you’re right. It’s scripted. I go out there every time knowing whether I’m going to win or lose. I know what I’m supposed to say. But that doesn’t make what I do any less real. What I do in that ring is real. And if you don’t get that…” He trailed off again, and let his arms fall while letting out a defeated sigh. “Then maybe this was a mistake.”

Loki could feel his heart drop, and he stared at Thor as he waited for him to take it back. He was going to take it back, wasn’t he? He wasn’t saying that they should put an end to this. He was only saying that it was a mistake to come here. But he would leave, and then he would call him again tomorrow, and everything would be fine. Right? But the longer he looked at him, the longer he realized that wasn't it. That wasn't what Thor meant. He meant  _them._ They were a mistake. Their... What they'd had was a mistake. 

Loki realized that perhaps he should have said something, but he didn’t know what to say. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he would end up telling Thor to leave, and that was the last thing he wanted him to do. He wanted to tell him that it wasn't a mistake. None of this had been a mistake. They could still make it work. He didn't want him to  leave. He still hadn't gotten the chance to feel his arms around him again, and suddenly there was nothing he wanted more. He was practically aching for it as he continued to watch him, but he didn’t even get a chance to move closer before Thor had shaken his head again.

“I have to go,” he said, a disappointed look on his face. Loki had to step aside to let him out of the kitchen, and he shuddered when the smell of Thor's cologne hit him. He stayed next to the table, only turning around once the door had closed behind Thor. He let out a shaky breath, not sure what to do now. After a couple of seconds he moved into the living room, hurrying over to the window to try to catch a glimpse of Thor, but it was impossible. It was too dark outside. He moved away from there again, sinking down on the couch for the second time that evening. He kept his eyes on a spot at the wall, staring at it without really seeing it. He didn’t realize there were tears in his eyes until he felt something wet against his cheek, and he quickly reached up to wipe it away, cursing Thor (and himself) as he wondered if he would ever get to see him again. 


	17. Chapter 17

Thor might as well have been dead.

It would have made no difference. He wasn’t calling him. He wasn’t texting him. Loki's phone didn't make a single sound the next day, and he quickly began to feel more and more desperate each time he glanced over at it. Why wasn't Thor contacting him? He should at least have had the decency to let him know it was over. How was Loki supposed to know what was going on? He had no idea if it was over or not. Was he all of the sudden allowed to move on? Was he allowed to sleep with other men, or would that be the thing to finally make Thor call him? Of course, there was a simple solution to his problem. He could call Thor. He could text him. He didn’t want to do that, though. Why should he call when Thor had been the one to walk out on him? No. No, he was going to wait. If Thor hadn’t called him in… two weeks, he would know that it was over.

Amora showed up at his apartment the next day, about an hour after he had gotten home from work. She was dressed in nothing but black, which was an unusual look for her. She removed her coat as soon as she had stepped past him, and handed it over before brushing her fingers through her long hair. Loki moved his eyes from her dark pants to her equally dark cardigan, and raised a brow.

“I just wanted to be appropriately dressed in case Thor was still here,” she pointed out, and looked around the room, as if she was expecting him to show up at any moment. That explained a lot. It certainly explained the carefully applied red lipstick, and the false eyelashes. She’d put that on just for Thor, hadn’t she? Well, she was about to be incredibly disappointed.

Loki put her coat away and shook his head as he lead the way into the living room. He sat down on the couch, and Amora hesitated for a moment before she joined him.

“I'm assuming you've heard?” she said, carefully arranging her cardigan before she turned her eyes to him. “I mean, you were with Thor yesterday.  He must have taken it pretty hard.”

“Actually, I wasn't with Thor yesterday,” Loki told her, wringing his hands as he prepared himself for what was undoubtedly about to happen. He would have to tell her. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to deal with this just yet, but she had clearly given him no choice. “I couldn't make it to the show because of work, and now he's… It doesn't matter anymore. It's over.”

“Over?” Amora echoed, frowning at him in confusion. “What do you mean it's over?” When Loki didn’t immediately answer, she let out a huff, which was quickly followed by a sigh.

“Loki, what did you do now?” she asked him, sounding very much like she was tired of his bullshit. Like a mother who had just found out that her child was in trouble. Again. It was like nails on a chalkboard to him.

“Why do you always assume I'm the one who did something?” he snapped, and he was just about ready to leave the couch and tell her to get the hell out of his apartment when she put her hands up as a sign of surrender.

“Okay. Okay,” she said, her face growing serious as she continued to watch him. “You're right. I'm sorry. Fine, what did _he_ do?”

Loki realized he wasn’t sure how to respond to that. What had Thor done? Well, he was the one who had walked out. He was the one who still hadn’t called him. He was the one who seemed to be moping.

“We had a fight” he began, and went on to explain the whole thing, telling her about what had happened in the car and what they had said to each other once Thor had decided to pay him a visit. When he was finished, Amora was quiet for a long moment, an almost pitying look on her face as she studied him. Loki resented that look.

“Oh, Loki,” she sighed. “You really shouldn’t have-”

“It wasn't my fault,” he defended himself, but Amora put a hand up to stop him.

“I'm not saying that it is. You probably don't know this... so I'm going to tell you, because it’s something you obviously need to know. Beta Ray Bill was… He was a huge wrestler a few years ago, okay? One of the very best. He was… He was a lot like Thor, actually. He was big, and powerful, and yet… oddly flexible. Anyway, he was still around when Thor showed up, and from what I've heard it seems like he was kind of like a mentor to him. I know you don't really watch a lot of behind the scenes stuff, but I do, and the two of them were really close. If you'd look at old videos of Beta you'd see that Thor was inspired by him. Not just by his moves, but his whole gimmick. And… It wouldn’t surprise me if his death affected him more than anyone on that roster. When I heard about it, Thor was the first one I thought of. Beta was kind of like a father figure to him, and you… Well, you should know better than anyone what it's like to lose someone like that.”

She gave him a somewhat cautious look as she said that last part, as if she was scared he would take it the wrong way. But he didn't. He did think it was a somewhat cheap shot to bring up the death of his father, but he understood why she did it. And she was right. He did know what it was like to lose a father, and if he had known Thor cared so much about this man perhaps he would have tried to be a bit more gentle.  Perhaps he would have saved that talk for some other time. The outcome might still have been the same, but at least he would have gotten the chance to comfort Thor before things went to hell.

“I didn't know” he said quietly. “He didn't tell me. I just thought it was someone he knew.”

Amora nodded her head and offered him a sympathetic look. “Well, now you do know, so if you want to go ahead and apologize…”

“No,” Loki said, and ignored the loud groan that slipped past her lips. “He doesn’t want to speak to me right now. I… I will wait.”

Amora raised her brows. “You're not going to call him, are you? Loki, would you please stop being so damn stubborn and just… tell him you're sorry.” He was about to protest again, but she quickly made sure to continue before he had the chance to. “I know, I know. He owes you an apology as well. He shouldn't have walked out, but in his defense, he was probably upset.”

“Why is it always in his defense?” Loki muttered.

“Because you’re so good at defending yourself?” Amora suggested. “I don’t need to do that for you. Someone’s got to be on his side.”

Loki shrugged, and turned his eyes away from her, watching the dark sky outside his window as he thought about everything she had just told him. If only he had known. If only he had known how much this man really meant to Thor, perhaps he would have been able to stop himself from yelling at him. But now it was too late. It had already happened, and there was nothing he could do to change it.

He didn’t look away until Amora nudged his arm, and she carefully placed a hand over his when he met her eyes.

“Are you okay?” she asked, that motherly tone in her voice making him want to roll his eyes at her, but he didn’t. Instead, he shook his head.

“I don’t know if he wants me back,” he said, his voice still much too quiet for his own liking. “He said it was a mistake. He thinks this whole thing was a mistake. And… What if he’s right? We would never be able to make it work anyway. We both care too much about our careers, and we would almost never be able to see each other. Perhaps it is better to end it now, before…” He trailed off, and shrugged his shoulders again.

“Before you fall madly in love with him?” Amora finished for him, and Loki frowned as he looked at her. He immediately wanted to protest, because she was obviously crazy. She wasn’t saying that it was going to happen, she was suggesting that it already had. He really wished she would stop trying to put words in his mouth. He was not… He really wasn’t… Thor was just…

Loki slowly let his eyes fall, and he watched his own knees in silence for a moment, not even protesting when Amora wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down for a hug.

Okay, so he might have had some feelings for Thor. Or possibly a lot of feelings for Thor. He supposed that should have become obvious the moment he realized he was terrified of losing him. And now he had lost him. Oh, the irony. Amora might have been able to stay positive, but after seeing that look on Thor’s face, Loki wasn’t sure if he would ever want to talk to him again.

It certainly didn’t seem like he wanted to talk to him. The days went by, and Thor didn’t call him. He made no effort to contact him, and neither did Loki. Amora kept telling him to reach out and apologize, because someone clearly had to take the first step, but she stopped once he told her to shut up and mind her own business. After that, she left him alone. Not because she was angry with him, but because she had realized she wasn’t helping. Telling him to call Thor would only make it worse.

The worst thing was that he couldn’t stop thinking about him, and it was ruining every aspect of his life. He barely wanted to go to the office anymore, and he wasn’t entirely sure why. Granted, these last few months had been challenging, but he still liked his job. He would have left it a long time ago if he hadn’t, but right now he wasn’t happy. He wasn’t. His job may have served as a small distraction, but that didn’t change the fact that he loathed almost every minute of it. He kept glaring at his co-workers, and he snapped at them on more than one occasion. Finally, at the end of the week, his boss called him into his office and asked him if something was wrong. Loki assured him that everything was fine, and that he would make sure to be on his best behavior from now on. Something that was easier said than done. Nevertheless, Loki managed to stay true to his promise. He didn’t say another bad word to any of his co-workers, but that didn’t stop him from thinking a whole lot of them.

Eventually, after a rough weekend, Monday arrived. When he got home that night, he ironically did so in time to be able to watch Raw. But did he even want to watch Raw? Wasn’t seeing Thor on his screen only going to make what he was feeling that much worse? After their fight, he wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to watch Thor wrestle again. He could still remember the look in his eyes. He could remember how disappointed he had sounded, as if the time they had spent together had been nothing but a huge waste.This was the first real disagreement they’d had. Sort of. They’d disagreed, but it had never been this bad. This was the kind of argument he wasn’t sure if they were going to be able to recover from. Thor clearly didn’t _want_ to recover from it.

Two minutes before eight, he finally decided that he was going to watch it. At least a few minutes of it. He just wanted to see what would happen. Thor had mentioned something about a tribute, and he was a little curious. Surely they couldn’t just ignore the death of this apparently very famous wrestler?

It turned out that they couldn’t. When the show started, the first thing they did was to show a picture of the wrestler who had died. When the picture faded away, there was a shot of what looked to be the entire roster standing on the stage, all of them with somber looks on their faces. Loki frowned as he put the remote down next to him, slowly tilting his head to the side when he saw Thor standing next to Steve.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the ring announcer began. “To honor the life of WWE superstar Beta Ray Bill, would you please rise as we toll the bell ten times.”

Everyone in the arena stood up, and then for a long moment, the sound of the bell was the only thing that could be heard. The camera panned over the wrestlers, before switching to shots of the crowd. Many of them were holding up signs with the name Beta Ray Bill on them. Some of them had placed their hands over their hearts. There were a couple of closeups of some of the wrestlers, and they focused on Thor for quite a few seconds. He clearly had tears in his eyes, and there was an almost heartbreaking look on his face as he kept his head slightly tilted down. Loki couldn’t stop himself from leaning closer, wishing there was something he could have done. But Thor didn’t want his comfort. Thor didn’t need him anymore.

As soon as they had rung the bell ten times, the audience began to cheer, and some kind of music began to play. Loki had a feeling it was most likely this Beta’s theme song. A lot of the wrestlers were smiling now, and some of them clapped along with the audience. Cap turned to Thor and put an arm around his back, seemingly giving his shoulder a squeeze as the two of them shared a look.

At least he knew someone would be there to comfort Thor.

The audience faded out, and they cut to some other kind of footage, which looked to be a lot older. It seemed to be some kind of tribute video, just like Thor had mentioned. They showed pictures and clips of Beta fighting and talking, all of it accompanied by a surprisingly upbeat song. Even Loki, who had no emotional attachments to this person whatsoever, thought it was a genuinely nice sentiment. It could have been a lot worse, certainly. They could have made it as sad and cheesy as possible. They could have put a bunch of pictures together and used the song ‘I Will Remember You’. But instead they had decided to focus on his good times, and from what Loki could see, it seemed like wrestling had been even more ridiculous in the past.

They also used quotes from the current roster, and all of them mentioned how amazing this Beta had been. Even Thor got to say a couple of words, and he brought up his strength. Not just in the ring, but outside of it as well. As soon as the the video came to an end, they showed the picture once more, before cutting back to the cheering audience. They began to chant ‘Beta, Beta, Beta!’ and after one last shot of the wrestlers, which revealed a small but still pained smile on Thor’s lips, the cut to the intro.

And after that, it was pretty much business as usual. The announcers sound just as excited as they always did when they talked about the upcoming matches, but Loki paid them no mind. He only watched somewhat distractedly until Thor came out. At that point, he decided it was time to turn it off. He didn't want to watch the rest. 

He had almost expected Thor to call him after the show, or at least send him a text to ask if he had watched it. He even stayed up later than usual, watching his phone in the darkness of his bedroom as he waited for it to buzz. But it didn’t. It just lay there, not making a single sound, and Loki huffed as he finally turned away from it and closed his eyes. It took him a long time to fall asleep, and he was exhausted at work the next day, but he somehow managed to get through it.

He also got through the day after that. And the day after that. He was slowly but surely beginning to accept that he wouldn’t get to talk to Thor again. It was… okay. He didn’t need him in his life to be happy. Of course, without him in it, his life was quickly becoming all about work, and he was beginning to realize how dull that was. He had always been an ambitious person, but work was all he could think about, and he hated it. This was not what it was supposed to be like. He missed talking to Thor. He missed his silly little texts. He missed the phone sex. A lot. In fact, he missed it so much that one night, he proceeded to touch himself while trying to imagine Thor’s voice in his ear. He imagined him telling him how to touch himself, and what he would have done to him if he had been there in bed with him. When he came, it was with a choked sob, and Loki cursed several times as he reached for a tissue, cursed the pathetic person he had become. Was this what the rest of his life was going to be like?

When Friday came along, Loki wondered if this weekend was going to be just as bad as the last one had been. When he didn’t even have work as a distraction, the silence of his apartment became about a thousand times worse. He couldn’t keep living like this. He needed to figure something out. Maybe he should get a pet? Or a roommate? No. He didn't care how much he missed Thor, he would never be able to deal with someone else living with him. Still, there had to be something he could do. 

As soon as he got home that night, he pulled off his suit and took a long shower before he changed into a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. He did actually consider wearing Thor's shirt, but then he realized the smell of it would make him miss him even more. So, he left it behind, heading into the kitchen to make himself something to eat. Once he was full, he slowly made his way into the living room, crossing his arms over his chest as he wondered if he should sit down with his laptop and get some more work done, or if he should watch a movie. Hm. Or perhaps he could read something? That usually made him feel better, and it was a nice distraction. He got a book from his bookshelf and made himself comfortable on the couch, letting out a content sigh as he began to read.

He’d made it through about fifty pages when the doorbell nearly made him jump out of his skin, and he quickly turned his head away from the book. Who could that be? He wasn’t expecting anyone. Could it be...? No, it was probably Amora, wasn’t it? She probably thought he would need some company. Or maybe she wanted to drag him to some club in an attempt to cheer him up? Hopefully, the sweatpants would show her he wasn’t interested in drinking or dancing. Well, maybe he wouldn't say no to the drinking. He put the book aside and made his way over to the door, hesitating for a moment before he unlocked and opened it.

Oh. It _was_ Thor. Loki felt like his breath had just left him, and he stared at him, wondering what he was doing there. For a long moment, he was so focused on his face and his eyes that he didn’t even realize he was wearing a suit. That was an odd choice of outfit for him. Nice, but odd. Loki couldn’t really focus on how hot he was, though, not when he was still trying to let all of this sink in.

“Hey,” Thor said quietly. “Can I come in?”

Loki didn’t respond. He stepped aside, holding the door open and then closing it behind Thor as soon as he had stepped inside his apartment. He leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest as he turned his eyes back to Thor, who looked unsure, like he wasn't sure what to say. Good. Let him squirm.

“I… I just came from the funeral,” Thor explained, and motioned to the black suit he was wearing, which really did make him look strangely sophisticated. “He was born here in New York, in Brooklyn. It was a beautiful ceremony, actually.” Thor’s eyes looked red, and Loki wondered if he had been crying. For some reason, that made him want to step forward and wrap his arms around him, but he didn’t. He needed to know what Thor was doing here first. He didn’t ask the question out loud, but Thor must have realized it was hanging in the air, because he answered it a second later.

“Look, I just came here to tell you… I’m sorry. I’m sorry about walking out on you like that. It wasn’t fair. You couldn’t have known how upset I was. Bill was… He was like a father to me, at a time when my own was barely speaking to me, and I didn’t expect him to go out like this. No one did. I loved him, he was... “ He trailed off, and Loki finally pushed himself away from the door. Instead of wrapping his arms around Thor, he took his hand in his and led him into the living room, where he pushed him down on the couch and sat down next to him.

Thor looked like he still had things left to say, but Loki stopped him before he could make another sound.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” he told him. “I… I actually get it. When my father died…” He hated talking about it. It was so much easier to ignore it, ignore how much the loss of his father had hurt him. He could still remember what it had been like. He’d stared at the walls for days. He’d cried, and he’d raged, and the only thing keeping him grounded had been Amora. She had been there for him in a way his brothers simply hadn’t. She had helped him back on his feet, and he would forever be grateful for that. If anyone understood how much it could hurt to lose someone, it was him.

“I’m sorry too,” he said with a sigh, keeping his eyes on Thor’s shirt because it was easier than looking into his eyes.  “I shouldn’t have said what I said. I don’t want you to quit wrestling. I like that you’re a wrestler, you know that. And I know it’s real, what you do in the ring. Even if you don’t actually hit each other.”

“We do hit each other, just not that hard,” Thor pointed out. He sounded surprised, almost shocked, to hear him apologize, and Loki gave him a nod.

“I know,” he said, lowering his eyes even further. “But when I heard her say that on the radio, when I thought there was a chance you were… gone, I couldn’t… It scared me, and I…” He tried to swallow past the stubborn lump in his throat, hating the tears that welled up in his eyes. He couldn’t cry now. Not in front of Thor. He wished there was a way for him to hide in the bathroom for a couple of minutes, but Thor didn’t let him leave the couch. He cupped his chin and made him tilt his head back up again. Loki pressed his lips together when their eyes met, and he wondered if there was any way for him to get out of this without making a complete and utter fool of himself. To his surprise, though, he wasn’t the only one with tears in his eyes.

“I know,” Thor said, echoing his words. “I know, Loki. Look, I… I can’t promise you that I’m not going to get hurt. It happens. Wrestlers get hurt all the time. We put our bodies on the line for other people’s entertainment. That’s just part of the job. But what I can promise you is that I’m not going to take any unnecessary risks.” Thor paused. “Actually, I can’t promise you that either. We do that a lot. We jump from things we shouldn’t jump from, and we do moves that are overly complicated. But, and let me be very clear on this… I don’t think I’m invincible. Far from it. I know how easy it is to get hurt, and now that I have you in my life, I’m going to be even more careful than I usually am. Okay? That’s what I _can_ promise you.” He moved closer, leaning their foreheads together while placing his hand against the side of Loki’s neck. “I’m not going to let you lose me.”

Loki looked into his eyes, and it didn't take him long to realize that he actually believed him. He believed that he wanted to be more careful, for him, and he believed that he would try his hardest not to take any unnecessary risks. Would he still be worried at times? Absolutely. Loki couldn’t help it. But was he going to tell Thor to stop wrestling? No, of course not. He knew Thor loved it too much to let it go, and he loved watching him too much to make him stop.

“Thank you,” he said, wanting to acknowledge that he appreciated everything Thor just said.

“Now that I’ve made that promise, do you think you can promise me something?” Thor asked, and Loki immediately tensed up. He had a feeling he knew exactly what was coming next. Still, he gave Thor a nod to let him know he could keep going.

“Promise me you’ll try to cut back. I don’t know what your job is like, but it can’t be good for you to work those long hours every day. I know I don’t have to worry as much, but just because you’re a…” Thor paused, and Loki raised a brow at him. He didn’t know what he was, did he? Thor looked like he felt really bad about it, and Loki was incredibly tempted to let him suffer for a while longer, but then he decided not to be so cruel. It wasn't Thor's fault that he'd never given him a name.

“Officially? I’m an account executive, though lately that title doesn’t seem to matter. I don’t think anyone at the office knows what they are anymore.”

“And why’s that?” Thor asked, and leaned back a little bit, but kept the hand against his neck.

“Because we have so much to do,” Loki said, and sighed before he decided to try to explain at least a little bit of it. “The original plan was for us to work with nothing but this one law firm, and that is what we have been doing for the last… it hasn’t been a year yet, but close to it. As prestigious as that law firm is, though, we were quick to realize that if we wanted to expand our business, we would have to take other clients as well. Unfortunately, that has now led to us having far more things to do than we first anticipated, and our idiotic supervisors don't know how to handle it. We may seem like we have everything under control, but it takes a lot of work to get there. These last couple of weeks, I have acted as everything from a mere assistant, to a manager, to a fucking graphic designer. That’s not my responsibility, and yet for some reason they seem to think it’s appropriate to ask me about everything.” He paused for a moment, and shook his head as he looked at Thor. “Yes, it has led to long hours, and though I like my job, I realize it's too much. We have a couple of things we need to see through, but it should calm down within the next month or so.”

“I hope so,” Thor said, and gave him a small smile. “Because this isn’t good for you, and I know you think you’re the only one worrying, but you’re not.” He looked so sincere at that point, and Loki frowned as he looked into his eyes. Thor had been worried about him? He knew he had been worried about his diet, but he didn’t realize he had been worried about other things. He wasn’t sure if it was sweet or condescending. Then again, he had been worried about Thor, hadn’t he? Very well. He supposed he would consider it sweet.

“This is a nice suit,” he said to distract them from the rather serious conversation they'd been having, and reached out to brush his fingers against the black tie. “Did you tie this all by yourself, or did you have someone else do it for you?”

“I do know how to tie a tie, Loki,” Thor said, his smile widening. “I’m pretty sure I’ve known that since I was twelve. My father wanted me to learn. He thought it was important. I guess he also thought my career would require me to dress up like this on a regular basis. But to be fair, we do need to wear suits occasionally, even though we're nothing but wrestlers.” His smile faded a little bit once he had stopped talking, and Loki turned his eyes back up to his face. He could see that he was tearing up again, and he wondered what he could do to comfort him. He was horrible at these things.

“I’m… I’m sorry. For your loss,” he said quietly, and Thor gave him a nod.

“Thank you.” He turned his eyes down. “I wish you would have been able to see him. He was… amazing. One of the very best. When I… When I got to NXT, he used to come down there to train us. We spent a lot of time talking about my character.” He let out a muffled chuckle. “I basically stole my gimmick from him. Well, I stole the hammer. If you look up old shows, you’ll see… He used to have the hammer, but he decided he wanted to give it to me. I don’t know why, I guess he thought I would look good with it. One time when he came to a Raw, he actually told me he thought I worked the hammer better than he had ever done. He was crazy. I just hope I made him proud. All those years, and he was… like a father to me. He supported me, and he was there for me, and he gave me the kind of fatherly advice I needed to make it through. He really is the reason I am where I am today.”

When Thor stopped, there was a tear running down his cheek. It got caught in his beard, and Loki hesitated as he looked at him. Clearly, he needed to try something else. He knew what he should have done. He should have given Thor a hug. He wanted to, but for some reason his arms were glued to his sides. All he could do was watch as Thor sniffled several times. He had his eyes turned away, and Loki wondered if he was embarrassed to be crying in front of him. Slowly, he leaned a little closer, but before he could do or say anything Thor had pulled him in for a hug. That was all it took for Loki to finally slip his own arms around Thor, and he held him tightly as he leaned his head on his shoulder.

Thor rubbed his hand against his back, as if he was the one who needed to be comforted. Loki couldn’t find it in himself to protest. It felt good. Though it felt even better to have Thor’s big arms wrapped around him. This was exactly what he had needed for about two weeks now. He finally had it, and to know that Thor wasn’t going anywhere, that he still wanted to be with him… It was such a relief. It didn’t quite rival the enormous relief he had felt after realizing Thor wasn’t dead, but it came close. Loki could feel his own eyes watering, and he snuggled - if possible - even closer to Thor’s chest. He could still hear Thor sniffling, and he tightened his arms around him. Thor moved his hand to the back of his head, and Loki leaned into the touch when he began to brush his thumb against his hair.

“It’s okay,” Thor whispered, and pressed a soft kiss to the side of his head. "It's okay." If he noticed he wasn't the only one who was crying, he was nice enough not to point it out, and Loki slowly but surely allowed himself to relax, hoping Thor felt just as comforted by the hug as he did. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are. At last. This chapter is very late, I know. I'm sorry about that. It was really hard for me to write for some reason. I guess Loki didn't want to cooperate. I've also been really busy these past two weeks, and when I was going to finish it, I got sick. But enough with the excuses. I'm already working on the next chapter, so hopefully you won't have to wait very long for it. You definitely shouldn't have to wait more than two weeks. And that's a promise I can actually make.

Much to Loki’s surprise, they didn't have sex that night. In fact, they didn’t even kiss. Not once. Instead, they made their way into his bedroom and fell asleep with their arms still wrapped tightly around each other. That was all they really needed, he supposed, to know that the other one was right there and wasn’t going anywhere. For now, at least.

When Loki woke up the next morning, he opened his eyes to find Thor watching him. He was on his side, facing him, and Loki let out a groan before hastily shutting his eyes again.

“How long have you been watching me?” he muttered.

“Not long,” Thor said, and Loki finally chose to look at him again when he felt a warm hand against his cheek. He allowed himself to lean into the touch, and Thor chuckled heartily for it.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked. Loki nodded his head, but didn’t say anything, choosing instead to lean forward and press their lips together. He kept the kiss short, pulling away again a couple of seconds later. Thor gave him a surprised look and raised his eyebrows as if he was waiting for some kind of explanation. Loki decided not to give him one, because giving him one would mean having to tell him how much he had missed him. It would mean having to tell him just how worried he had been that he would never get to see him again.

“You look so beautiful,” Thor said, changing the subject as soon as he realized he wasn’t going to get an answer. He traced his cheekbone with his thumb and continued to watch him with that intense look in his eyes - the one that always made Loki wonder what was going on inside that head of his.

Loki let out a quiet snort at the compliment. Oh, sure. Thor literally looked like a god, like he had been sculpted out of clay, like he had been made to show everyone what true perfection really was, and he was the beautiful one? He was about to protest, but Thor moved his thumb down to his lips in one swift motion.

“You do,” he insisted, his voice firm as he tried to make sure he wouldn’t want to argue. “If you could see what I see… You’d know I was telling the truth.”

“You know,” Loki mumbled, his words muffled behind Thor’s thumb. “If I had known you’d be this corny, I never would have agreed to this thing in the first place.”

Thor let out a laugh, removing his thumb as he leaned closer. “I should have warned you. I’m sorry.” He narrowed his eyes, seemingly considering his own words before he continued. “Actually, I’m not sorry. I think you could use a little corny in your life. In fact, I think you secretly enjoy it. Come on, admit it.”

“I don’t think so.” Loki shook his head. He carefully reached up and put his hand against his own pillow, just in case he would need to hit Thor with it in order to shut him up.

“Don’t make me force it out of you,” Thor said, and Loki could feel his smile against his own lips when he gave him another kiss. He wasn’t sure what he had done to deserve all of this. It was… strange. Thor wasn’t trying to get away from him, but he also didn’t seem desperate for the two of them to have sex. Loki simply wasn’t used to these kinds of mornings in bed together. Granted, this wasn’t exactly their first one, but they hadn’t gotten together for sex this time. At least, he didn’t think they had. Unless Thor had had other plans. And Loki would not have minded if he did.

Thor pulled away again, and Loki almost followed him. He didn’t want the kiss to end. He just wanted… He wanted Thor. He had wanted him for a long time now, and he didn’t care if Thor was here for sex or not. He felt like Thor owed him that much, especially after staying away from him for such a long time. About a week and a half. Which had seemed like forever.

He leaned in for another kiss, a more insistent one, but he barely had time to part his lips before Thor put a stop to it with a groan. “You know, we still have some things we need to talk about.”

Loki let out a huff. “We can talk later,” he mumbled against his lips, tangling their legs together as he tried to press himself closer to Thor’s chest. After he’d pulled on his arm several times, it seemed like Thor finally got the hint, and Loki let out a pleased moan when he had his weight on top of him once more. It didn’t take them long to shed what little clothes they’d been wearing, and Loki eagerly ran his hands against Thor’s chest, frowning lightly when he found a scar close to his hip. It was a small one, though he could tell it was new, and he gave Thor a look before he pulled him down for another kiss.

Thor began to rock their bodies together, and Loki sighed and moaned as he enjoyed what was quickly turning out to be an amazing morning. It seemed as though Thor intended to bring them both off this way, and while Loki would have been fine with it, he quickly came to realize he wanted something more.

“I want you inside me,” he murmured against Thor’s lips in between kisses, eagerly grinding their hips together. He wanted to feel him in any way that he could, as if that would somehow be able to reassure him that Thor wasn’t going anywhere. After the shock of thinking that he had lost him, he had a feeling this was exactly what he needed to make himself feel better.

“Are you sure?” Thor asked, and Loki didn’t understand why he was all of the sudden hesitating. He put his hand on his chest and gave him a firm push before reaching out for the nightstand, where he found the almost empty bottle of lube. He clearly needed to do some shopping as soon as he was alone again.

He threw the bottle at Thor and made himself comfortable on his back.

“I’m sure,” he told him, and Thor smiled as his gaze flickered between the bottle and his eyes. Loki’s legs fell open for him as soon as he positioned himself in between them, and Loki was more than happy to feel the first finger breaching him. While he watched Thor, studying the look of concentration on his face as he moved his fingers into him, he couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky he felt. Twenty four hours ago, he had thought for sure it was over, and now Thor was back in bed with him, and he was willing to give him exactly what he wanted. Could he have wished for anything more than that? It almost felt too good to be true, and Loki quickly tried to silence the small part of him that reminded him that it probably was.

Thor looked up to meet his gaze, and raised a curious brow at him.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, and Loki felt a blush creeping up his cheeks. He was quick to shake his head.

“No, nothing,” he assured him. He had been staring. He really needed to do something about that, or else Thor would figure it out… He suddenly realized there was a chance Thor already knew. Thor had told him he wasn’t as good at hiding his feelings as he thought he was. What if Thor knew? What if he had realized the same thing he had realized? And if he had, would that be so bad? Loki wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure about anything anymore. It felt like everything had changed, and it had changed too quickly for him to be able to adjust to it.

This had never been part of the plan. When he had accidentally run into Thor on the street, he had been hoping for nothing more than to have that one evening with him, but then they had stayed in touch and he had told himself to keep Thor interested by any means possible. He had wanted to keep him around, but he had certainly never planned on developing any kind of feelings for him. It was supposed to be about sex, nothing more, and now it was about… Loki hesitated to call it love. He wasn’t sure if that was what it was, but whatever feelings he had for Thor were obviously a lot deeper and a lot more intense than he had wanted them to be.

“Loki?” Thor’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and Loki blinked confused eyes at him. Thor was no longer moving his fingers, and Loki wondered if he had missed something. How long had Thor been trying to talk to him? “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Loki told him, and shrugged his shoulders. “You can stop now. I’m ready.”

He waited as patiently as he could for Thor to slick himself up, but didn’t feel better until Thor was finally buried inside of him. Suddenly, everything was right with the world, and Loki quickly wrapped his legs around his waist and ordered him to move. Once again, Thor decided to take it slow, and this time Loki didn’t protest. He had already gotten what he wished for. 

At some point, Thor laced their fingers together, and it didn’t take long before Loki was close to begging him for his touch. While he didn’t mind the slow movements as Thor rocked their bodies together, he was becoming more and more frustrated. Luckily, Thor took mercy on him, and Loki moaned loudly when he wrapped one of his hands around his cock. He came just a short moment later, Thor’s name on his lips as he threw his head back. Thor sped up his thrusts, and Loki closed his eyes with a content sigh when he felt thick spurts of come filling him up.

When it was over, Thor collapsed on top of him, and Loki allowed him to stay there for about a minute before he snapped that he was suffocating him. He was just too big and too heavy, and he did no longer feel like dealing with that weight on top of him when he was exhausted from his orgasm. Thor quickly rolled over, and the two of them stayed side by side on the bed for a long moment, staring up at the ceiling as they tried to calm down.

“I’m glad I came back,” Thor said, breaking the silence after a couple of minutes. He propped himself up on an elbow, and Loki slowly turned his eyes to look at him, his gaze moving from his flushed cheeks to his sweaty forehead.

“What made you change your mind?” he asked.

“Amora called me.”

Loki’s eyes widened at Thor’s words, and he immediately pushed himself up. That was not at all what he had expected to hear. He had assumed Thor would tell him that he had missed him, or perhaps go on a rant about feelings. He had definitely not expected Amora’s name to be brought up.

“What?” he asked sharply as he stared at Thor. “She… She called you?” How had she even gotten Thor’s number? Had she stolen it from him? She must have. Sadly, it would not be the first time she had touched his phone without his permission. And what made her think he would be okay with something like that? What made her think she could get herself involved? He’d told her to stay out of his business. Then again, if she was the only reason Thor had decided to come back to him…

“Yeah, she did,” Thor confirmed with a nod of his head, seemingly unaffected by the whole thing. “A couple of days ago. She gave me this long speech about… well, about you, and about us. She asked me to call you.” Thor reached up and gently brushed his fingers against his arm. “I’m telling you, it really was quite a speech. But I let her know it wasn’t necessary. I’d already decided to contact you, but then I realized I wanted to wait until after the funeral. I didn’t want to apologize over the phone.”

Again, Loki did not know what to say. He was relieved Thor had made the decision to contact him on his own, but he wasn’t sure how to feel about Amora. Was he supposed to be grateful? What if she had made things worse? But she hadn’t. She had tried to do something nice for him. Perhaps he owed her something for that. He could always buy her an extra Christmas present or something.

“I’m glad you came,” Loki said. Thor put one of his big hands on his chest and gently forced him down on his back, and Loki sighed before he met his eyes.

“So am I,” Thor murmured, as if they hadn’t already established that, and gave him a brief kiss before he pushed himself up and left the bed. Loki frowned as he watched him leave the room, wondering what he was up to. He waited patiently for him to return, and rolled his eyes when Thor brought a towel with him. He put on some clothes and then got back down on the bed and cleaned him up, gently wiping the come off his thighs and stomach. Loki watched him in silence, pulling Thor down for another kiss as soon as he had tossed the towel aside.

“You know, we really do have some things we need to talk about,” Thor pointed out, and Loki reluctantly let him go so that he could sit up.

“Like what?” he asked, even though he knew he didn’t want to hear the answer. Talking was never a good thing. At least not when it came to talking about relationships. The only thing stopping him from fleeing the room or possibly his apartment was the fact that he knew Thor wasn’t about to break up with him. He wouldn’t have spent the night with him if that was what he wanted to do. Thor wasn’t that cruel.

“Like our future. If we even have one.” Thor gave him a serious look, and Loki quickly avoided his gaze, slipping out of bed to find some fresh underwear. This was not the kind of conversation he wanted to have in the nude.

“You’re not proposing, are you?” he asked, keeping his back to Thor while reaching for a t-shirt and putting it on.

“No,” Thor said. “You don’t have to worry about that.” Oh, of course not. Thor would never want to marry him, because he wasn’t marriage material. He was just someone Thor was biding his time with until he could find the real deal. Someone to settle down with. Well, that was fine. He didn’t want to get married anyway, which Loki was quick to remind himself before he made himself feel even worse.

“Loki,” Thor said firmly, and Loki placed his hands on the dresser, closing his eyes for a moment and allowing himself a deep breath before he turned around to look at him. Thor motioned for him to get back on the bed, and Loki hesitated before he stepped closer, chewing on his bottom lip as he sat down.

“Fine,” he said. “Talk.”

Thor cleared his throat. “I want to know how you feel about our future. I think we both know that seeing each other once or twice every couple of months… It’s not going to work. Not in the long run. I guess I just want to know how much to invest in this…” He trailed off, and Loki cocked a brow as he waited for him to continue.

“I know you don’t want to call it a relationship,” Thor pointed out. “But I have no idea what else to call it. We talk on the phone, we have sex, we spend time together… Look, if you have another name for it you’d rather use, I’m all ears.”

Loki stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest, but kept quiet, deciding to let Thor go ahead. If he wanted to call it a relationship, then he supposed he could let him do that. For now.

Once Thor had realized that he wasn’t about to protest, he took a deep breath before continuing.

“I guess I just want you to tell me how you feel about this. I realize you don’t want to talk about it, but… What are we? I don’t even know what to call you anymore. We’re obviously more than friends, more than just lovers…”

Loki groaned, and shifted on the bed as he turned his eyes away.

“Why?” he muttered, and shook his head, keeping his eyes on the green curtains as he lamented the fact that he lived too high up for him to be able to jump out the window without hurting himself. “Why are you trying to complicate things? I’ve already told you, I’m not interested in labels.”

“Really?” Thor countered. “That’s strange, because you seemed very interested in labels when I told you I wasn’t out at work. Then you were very intent on me putting a label on myself. And you know what? I did it. I'm not saying I did it just because you asked me to, but I knew you wanted me to come out, so I did. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy I did it, but I think you owe me a little something. All I’m asking for is a way to know what to call you. If I do get to take you backstage and introduce you to my friends, what should I call you?”

“How about Loki?” Loki suggested with a sneer as he turned his eyes back to him, and Thor shook his head.

“That’s your name. I think they’re going to expect something more than that.”

Loki gave him a long look. He wondered what it would take to put an end to this conversation. It was stupid. He didn’t want to talk about their future, mostly because he assumed they didn’t actually have one. Thor may have liked him, and he may have had feelings for Thor, but how long was that going to last? How long was Thor going to put up with this? Loki was simply waiting for him to realize that he’d had enough, that he didn’t want to deal with this any longer. He was waiting for Thor to get up and leave. He must have had better things to move on to, after all.

“I don’t know what you want from me,” Loki finally said, and narrowed his eyes when Thor shook his head at him. Again. “I don’t understand why you insist on having this conversation. As far as I’m concerned, we are nothing. We’re…” He trailed off, and shook his own head before turning his eyes away. “I don’t want you to call me anything, Thor. Like it or not, I don’t belong to you. I’m not yours in any way, and I don’t care how much you want it to happen, we’re never going to be anything other than-” He paused when he realized that Thor had left the bed. He tilted his head up and shot him a glare. “Oh, that’s it?” he snapped. “You’re going to just walk away again? Fine, do it. You know what you are? You’re a coward.” He ignored the tears that were suddenly threatening to appear as he stared up at Thor, waiting for him to turn around and leave. But Thor didn’t move, not for a long moment.

“I’m not walking away, I'm just going into the kitchen,” he said, his voice surprisingly soft as he reached out to put his hand against his neck. “You seem a little cranky, so I figured maybe you needed something to eat. I'll make us some breakfast, okay?” To Loki’s surprise, he leaned down and pressed their lips together, offering him a small smile before he exited the room. Loki was left alone on the bed, blinking several times as he tried to process what had just happened. He didn’t get it. Why was Thor acting like his angry ranting just now hadn’t bothered him at all? Was he losing his touch? Granted, he could have done a lot worse, but…

He stood up, and hesitated for a second or two before he left the bedroom and made his way over to the kitchen. Thor was getting ingredients out of his fridge, putting them all down on the counter next to it, and Loki leaned against the doorframe as he watched him.

“Why do you want this so badly?” he asked after a long moment, and Thor straightened back up again, slowly closing the fridge door with a confused look on his face.

“Tell me why you want us to be a couple,” Loki explained, and tried to ignore the rapid beating of his own heart as he waited for Thor to respond. Thor sighed, and looked like he was considering his words, probably knowing how easy it would be to say the wrong thing at this point.

“Because I like you,” he finally said, and shrugged his shoulders before giving him a smile. “I like you a lot, Loki. You’re not perfect, but neither am I. And I know we don’t know as much about each other as we probably should, but that’s fine by me. What I do know is that I enjoy spending time with you. At least when you’re not snapping at me. I enjoy that a little less.” He let out a soft chuckle, and took a couple of steps closer, grabbing Lok’s hands before he continued. “I just want to make it official. I want to be able to tell my friends that you’re… that you’re my boyfriend. Is that so bad? It doesn’t change anything between us, except that we really need to figure out how to see each other more often.”

Loki gave him a long, suspicious look. Thor sounded surprisingly genuine, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it. He knew what Amora would have said if she had known about this. She would have asked him what the hell he was waiting for. Thor was the one chasing after him, why not take advantage of that? But Loki was only being cautious in order to protect himself. Letting Thor get this close was a mistake, a mistake he had not intended to make. But now there was nothing he could do, except figuring out whether it was worth the risk or not.

Thor continued to watch him, giving him a hopeful look, and Loki finally let out a sigh.

“I’ll think about it,” he said. That seemed to be good enough for Thor, and he gave him another kiss before turning around and ordering him to sit down. Loki did, and he watched with great interest as Thor made them some eggs and bacon. It smelled and tasted delicious, and Loki was seriously considering asking Thor to stay a while longer, if only to make sure he wouldn't have to cook. They ate in silence for a while, before Thor apparently decided he wasn't going to give up just yet. 

“So you don’t care what my friends think?” he asked, and Loki shook his head as he took a big sip of his juice, licking his lips before he answered him.

“No.”

Thor gave him a thoughtful look, and Loki took advantage of his silence by eating some more. He only had time to finish about half of what was on his plate, though, before Thor spoke up again.

“Okay, how about this,” he began, and put his fork down. “What if we were backstage and we ran into some… other people. Would that make you change your mind?”

Loki raised a brow. “Other people?” he repeated.

Thor nodded, and it wasn’t difficult to figure out what he meant. He wanted to know what Loki would like to be called if they ran into one of his exes. And he had quite a few of them back there. Loki put his own fork down as he thought about it. As far as he was concerned, this was quite a dirty trick on Thor’s part, but he wasn’t bothered by it. If anything, he was almost impressed. And he had a point. If they did run into one of the women he used to sleep with, Loki didn’t want them to think of him as just some nobody Thor had happened to bring along. He didn’t want them to think he was just a friend. If he saw one of them, he wanted to be able to wrap his arms around Thor’s chest and hiss possessively at them. Since he was sure he couldn’t do that, he supposed being introduced as the one who currently got to have sex with Thor was the next best thing. And if they absolutely had to use the term boyfriend, there wasn’t much he could do about it, was there?

“Fine,” he sighed, and reached for his fork. “I suppose if we ran into _other people_ , I would want you to introduce me as your boyfriend. Or as the best sex you’ve ever had, but if you’d rather settle for boyfriend, I won’t protest. Much.”

Thor grinned at him, and Loki rolled his eyes before sticking another piece of bacon into his mouth. It didn't take them long to finish everything on their plates, and once breakfast was over Loki insisted on taking care of the dishes. Thor could go into the living room and wait for him. Thor did just that, but not before giving him a kiss that left Loki slightly lightheaded as he proceeded to clear the table. Once he was done, he wiped his hands on a towel and left the kitchen. He had been hoping to pick up where they’d left off, but when he entered the living room he quickly came to realize that the atmosphere had changed quite a bit in the last couple of minutes.

Thor was on the couch, and he didn’t even look up as he walked into the room. He was staring at his phone, not taking his eyes off it, and Loki tilted his head to the side in wonder as he stopped next to the couch.

“They’ve posted the tribute video on youtube,” Thor said, still without looking at him. “I never really got a chance to see it. Figured I should.”

“You can borrow my laptop if you like,” Loki offered, and stepped past the couch, reaching for his laptop before handing it over to Thor, who gave him a grateful look. Loki hesitated for a moment, wondering if perhaps Thor wanted to be alone. He didn’t leave the room, though. Instead he stayed close to the couch, wringing his hands as he watched Thor click on the video. The by now familiar music started up again, but since Loki couldn’t see the video he kept his eyes on Thor’s face. He was of course focusing on the video, and it didn’t take long for tears to gather in his eyes as he watched the clips and listened to the quotes. Despite the sad look on his face, Thor managed to smile at some of the funnier bits. He let out muffled laughs even as tears slid down his cheeks, and Loki slowly made his way over to the couch, placing himself on Thor’s left. He threw a quick look at his face before turning his eyes to the video, idly watching it while he wondered what he was supposed to do. Finally, he could do nothing to stop himself from moving his hand closer to Thor’s, gently lacing their fingers together. Only then did Thor finally turn to look at him, and he gave him a small smile before he turned back to the video.

When it was over, Thor sniffled and reached up with his free hand to wipe the tears away. Loki didn’t say anything. He simply waited for Thor to speak up, figuring it would be easier to let him make the first move. 

“He really was one of the best,” Thor said at last, his voice quiet as he sniffled again. “I wish you could have met him. He would have liked you. I know he would have.”

“Tell me about him,” Loki said, and gave Thor’s hand a squeeze. “I don’t know anything other than what they show us in that video.”

Thor gave him another grateful look, and nodded his head. “I’ll show you,” he said, and immediately began to type something into the search bar, giving him a brief smile before he clicked on a video called 'Beta Ray Bill's Most Badass Moments'. For the next hour, he proceeded to tell Loki all about his former mentor. He showed him clips and pointed out what a great talker he’d been and the different ways his moves had inspired him. He told him about the times they’d spent together, about the invaluable advice he’d given him, and about how much he was going to miss him. He told him about how much he had meant to him.

And Loki listened.

  
  



	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's quite a bit of wrestling in this one. But at least there's some story to it. So there's a story inside the story... Whatever. I've already gotten started on the next chapter, and it's one I know a lot of you have been looking forward to. I don't think I need to say anything else... 
> 
> Enjoy!

As soon as Thor had left him, it was time to get back to his normal routine. He watched Raw the following Monday, and was surprised to see Stark and Cap having an argument backstage. It wasn’t the first time he saw the two of them interacting - far from it - but he wasn’t used to Stark focusing like this on anyone other than Thor. It happened again on Smackdown, and of course he had to ask Thor about it, which he did later that night when they spoke on the phone.

“They’re setting up for Survivor Series,” Thor told him, and Loki let out a long sigh.

“And what is Survivor Series?” he asked. He knew he could have saved himself the trouble of having to ask these questions if he simply looked up each of the pay-per-views, but he never took the time for it. Besides, Thor didn’t tease him about it as much as he could have. He did let out a chuckle, though, and Loki pressed his lips together as he waited for an answer.

“Well, there’s going to be a Survivor Series match. Two tag teams compete, and the goal is to eliminate the other team's wrestlers. The team that's the last one standing wins. Cap and Stark will be team captains."

Loki frowned. “But Stark doesn’t wrestle.”

“Not anymore, no,” Thor agreed. “But that doesn’t mean he can’t put together a team. So it’ll be Team Cap vs. Team Stark.”

“And you’ll be on Cap’s team, I assume?” Loki guessed. They were best friends, after all, and Thor had been feuding with Hulk and Stark several times now. It made sense that Thor would want to be there to help his friend if he was going to fight them.

“You’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?” Thor said, and Loki swore he could _hear_ the infuriating grin on his lips. Bastard. Why could he never give him a straight answer?

For the next couple of weeks, Raw and Smackdown focused on the upcoming Survivor Series. Just as Loki had predicted, Thor was quick to join Cap’s side. That was the only thing Loki cared about, really. It didn’t matter who else would be on their team, the only thing that mattered was that they would win. Or so he hoped, at least. He found it difficult to believe that Cap would lose this match. Stark was such a smug asshole right now, he simply had to lose if they wanted the fans to be satisfied. Most of them booed him each and every time he entered the ring. Though if the smirk on his face was anything to go by, he was probably enjoying it.

The buildup between the wrestlers wasn’t the only thing that was happening, though. Something else was going on backstage. Some of the wrestlers were being attacked. In the middle of interviews, or while they were simply walking through the hallways, someone would tackle them and throw enough punches to make them stay on the ground. No one seemed to know who this person was. The camera man never got a good look at him, and he usually disappeared before the wrestlers came to. Suspiciously enough, every member of Cap’s team seemed to have a large target on their back. They were attacked more than once - even Thor. Cap confronted Stark about it, pushing him up against a wall as he told him to make it stop. They would meet each other in the ring, there was no reason for him to stoop to such dirty tricks. Stark assured him he had nothing to do with it, but Cap didn’t seem to believe him, and Loki wasn’t sure if he did either. It made sense for Stark to try to get them out of the way before the match had even started, and personally he saw no reason for him not to stoop to that level.

Loki was constantly trying to get Thor to tell him who would win the match, and who that mysterious guy was, but Thor was a stubborn oaf who refused to share any information with him, no matter how often he asked him to. Loki - naturally - accused him of being completely unfair, but that just made Thor laugh.

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” he said each and every time, and Loki was getting more and more frustrated. Soon enough, though, the teams had been put together, and most of the members made sense. Other than Thor, Cap had chosen to recruit Falcon, Luke Cage, and Daredevil. Thor did actually let him know that Hawkeye was supposed to have been part of the team, but since he was injured they’d had to go for someone else, and Daredevil had seemed like an appropriate choice. Of course, Stark had put together a little team of his own. Hulk was there, obviously, along with Rhodes, Crossbones, Black Panther, and Vision. Vision was relatively new on the roster, new enough for Loki to have seen his first appearance, and he still wasn’t entirely sure what to make of him. He didn’t understand the cape, or the pink and green wrestling gear, but he seemed to be an okay wrestler. Still, since his first match had been against Thor, his automatic response was to dislike him. 

Thor seemed even more excited than him about what was coming up. There was nothing at stake, which was usually the case when it came to these Survivor Series matches. Not this year, though. Nothing was at stake, other than each team’s pride. Nevertheless, they were spending a big amount of time on it. The teams met in the ring more than once. Never for any official matches, though. They probably wanted to save that for the actual event. A lack of matches didn’t stop them from trying to hit each other, though. Stark made Hulk attack Cap once or twice, and of course the rest of the team always came to his aid. Chaos usually erupted inside the ring, and it was always entertaining to watch. Loki realized he was actually looking forward to the match, and of course he wanted to finally find out who the winner would be. He still had a feeling it would be Cap’s team. There was no way they could let Stark win when he was such a huge asshole right now. No one would want to see that happen. Loki least of all.

A couple of days before the show, Amora called him and asked him what he wanted to do on Sunday.

“It’s your birthday. You decide. Do you want to celebrate, or do you want to stay in and watch Survivor Series? I’d take you out on Saturday, but I’ve already made plans.”

“You think I’m going to miss this just because it’s my birthday?” Loki asked. “I have waited for this for weeks now, and I need to make sure Thor’s team wins. If we absolutely must celebrate, we can do it some other time.”

“Technically, it’s Cap’s team,” Amora pointed out. “Fine, then we’ll stay in. I’d say watching a bunch of hot shirtless men is a perfectly nice way of celebrating one’s birthday. This saves me from having to take you to a strip club.”

So they both agreed to it. They would stay in and watch Survivor Series, even though it happened to be his birthday. Loki was perfectly alright with that, and he was glad that Amora would be coming over. He had some things he needed to discuss with her after all, such as how impolite it was to search through someone else’s phone without their permission. He hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to her about that yet. They had texted each other a few times in the last couple of weeks, but they hadn’t been able to see each other face to face, and this was definitely the kind of thing he wanted to do in person.

Thor called him that Sunday, wanting to know if he would be rooting for his team. Loki told him he didn’t have much of a choice. Since Stark was on the other team, he obviously couldn’t root for them. He also let Thor know that Amora would be coming over, and that the two of them would cheer him on together.

“She thought it would be appropriate for me to watch some shirtless men on my birthday,” he added. Thor was silent for a long moment after that.

“It’s your birthday?” he finally asked. “I had no idea.” And he sounded guilty about that, but Loki shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s not quite as easy to google me,” he pointed out. He, on the other hand, knew when Thor’s birthday was. Along with a bunch of other things. Loki didn’t exactly have his own wikipedia page, and they had never talked about birthdays. How was Thor supposed to know the exact date?

“So how old are you?” Thor asked, and Loki snickered as he shook his head.

“You think it’s that easy?” he asked. Not that he had anything against Thor finding out how old he was. They were about the same age. He was just two years younger than him, in fact, but he didn't need to tell him about that. 

“You do realize I could just call Amora and ask, right?”

“Oh, is that how it’s going to be from now on?” Loki raised a brow. “You’re going to talk to Amora every time I don’t share something with you? I’ll make sure she changes her number.” He didn’t like the thought of Thor and Amora talking about him behind his back. There was no way for him to control what they were saying, and he hated the mere thought of it.

“You could just tell me.”

Loki sighed dramatically. “I’m twenty nine. Happy?”

“Very,” Thor said. “Well, happy birthday. I hope you’ll have a great day today.”

“Does that mean you’ll win tonight?” Loki asked at once, and Thor laughed.

“We’ll see,” he said.

Several hours later - after his brothers had called him and wished him a happy birthday - Loki pushed himself up from the couch when there was someone at the door. He assumed it was Amora. She must have gotten there early. But it wasn’t Amora. It was a delivery. For him. Someone had bought him a big bouquet of red roses, and Loki stared at them as the delivery guy carried them into the living room, where he instructed him to put them down on a table. Loki gave him a quick thank you before he turned his eyes back to the flowers, slowly stepping forward to read the card.

‘Happy birthday. You’ll get something much better the next time we see each other, I promise. I’ll call you tonight. - Thor.’

Loki wasn’t sure whether he was supposed to be rolling his eyes or tearing up. He'd sent him flowers? He hadn’t expected to get anything from Thor, mostly because he hadn’t actually told him about his birthday, and now he was suddenly the only one who had gotten him a present. He leaned closer to smell them, and realized it had been quite some time since anyone had bought him flowers, let alone roses.

When Amora finally showed up, she raised her eyebrows when she spotted the roses, which he had put in a green vase he'd found in the kitchen.

“Wow,” she said. “I’m guessing these are from Thor? Or do you have a secret admirer I don’t know about?” She walked closer to the bouquet, and shook her head as she looked at it. “He doesn’t hold back, does he? How many roses is this?”

“It’s thirty one,” Loki said, and crossed his arms over his chest as he followed her over to the table. “Twenty nine roses. I’ve counted them. Twice.”

Amora patted his shoulder and let out a soft laugh as she turned around and stepped over to the couch.

“So you guys are okay now?” she asked, grabbing the remote and lowering the volume before she turned her eyes to him.

“We are,” Loki confirmed. “All thanks to you.” He slowly sat down next to her, and Amora gave him an innocent look.

“He told you?” she asked, not sounding quite as scared as she probably should have.

“Yes, he did,” Loki said. “He told me you called him and tried to talk him into calling me. Where did you get his number?”

Amora shrugged. “I found it on your phone while you were in the bathroom.” The fact that she seemed completely unfazed by it only managed to make him angrier, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Since when does that give you permission to touch it?” Loki asked through clenched teeth, and Amora patted him on the shoulder again.

“It’s not that bad, is it? Yes, maybe I shouldn’t have stolen his number, but I got the two of you back together, didn’t I?”

“I’m pretty sure Thor is the one who did that,” Loki pointed out, and reached up to push her hand away. “He told me your speech was unnecessary. And speaking of that speech of yours, what exactly did you say to him? He told me you talked about me. I swear, Amora, if you told him about…”

“I didn’t tell him anything. Nothing I shouldn't have, anyway,” Amora cut him off. “I told him you’re a complicated person and that you suck at letting people know how you really feel, but I didn’t give any details away. I didn’t say a thing about what’s happened in your life to turn you into... This. I figured he should hear it from you.”

“There is nothing to say,” Loki pointed out, torn between relief because Amora hadn’t told Thor anything about him, and anger because she had brought it up in the first place. For now, he settled on relief. There were some things he simply did not wish to talk about. Especially not with Thor. There was no reason for him to know about them, really. He had already told him about his father’s death. Did he really need to know anything else about his past? Hey, he didn’t know everything there was to know about Thor either. He was sure there were certain things Thor would not wish to talk to him about. They may have been in a relationship now, but that didn't mean they had to share every single secret with each other. 

When the show finally came on, Loki had made them some popcorn, and he made himself comfortable next to Amora on the couch, accusing her of stealing the popcorn when she took the bowl from him. She threw some popcorn at him, and he glared at Amora before turning his eyes to the TV as soon as he heard the audience screaming. The commentators welcomed them to Survivor Series, and Loki let out a disappointed sigh when they mentioned that the actual Survivor Series match would be the main event. Of course. He would have to wait until the end of the show to actually see Thor. Well, that was fine. He had expected as much. They hadn’t hyped any of the matches as much as they had hyped that one. It made sense that it would be the star of the show.

Luckily, the rest of the show was quite enjoyable as well. There was a tag team match, and then another tag team match - this time with the Divas. There was a match for the Intercontinental Championship, and then one for the Diva’s Championship. While he enjoyed all of those matches just fine, he really couldn’t wait for Thor’s match to come on. He was just hoping he would actually get a chance to shine. Obviously it would be about Cap and Stark, but that didn’t change the fact that he wanted Thor to show off some of his skills. He would be the best wrestler in that ring, after all.

When it was time for that match, Amora and he had made their way through two bowls of popcorn, and Loki was incredibly tempted to move a little closer to the TV. Amora laughed at him when he leaned forward, and he threw her a dirty look. Stark’s team was the first to come out, and Loki narrowed his eyes when one after one they all entered the ring. Stark and Hulk were the last to come out, and Loki couldn’t help but smirk when he heard the loud booing coming from the audience. The two of them didn’t seem to care, though. They simply made their way over to the ring, and Stark gathered all of them around for a quick pep talk before they faced the stage, all of them standing there in silence as they waited for Cap’s team to appear.

Daredevil’s music was the first to hit, and Loki threw a quick look at Amora, who drummed her fingers against her thighs while she watched him walk down the ramp. He didn’t go all the way into the ring, though, which was probably a good idea because everyone in Stark’s team was glaring at him. Next, Luke Cage came out, and even Loki had to admit he looked great as he walked down the ramp, that yellow t-shirt and blue jeans making him stand out amongst the other wrestlers. He patted Daredevil’s shoulder, and together the two of them waited for their team mates. 

Falcon was the third one to join the group, and he high fived several of the audience members on his way down the ramp. It wasn’t difficult to figure out who would come next, and Loki’s heart was already beating faster as he waited for Thor’s music to come on. When it did, he could do nothing to stop the smile on his face. Thor walked out on stage, stopping there for a moment before he walked down the ramp to join the other three.

“Happy birthday to you,” Amora mumbled. “He looks fucking amazing.”

Thor was quickly welcomed into the group, and he stopped next to Luke Cage, giving them all a smile before turning serious eyes to the ones standing inside the ring. As he watched him, Loki was unable to stop himself from feeling… somewhat proud. Thor was his. He was his boyfriend, and he felt like he wanted to tell everyone who would care to listen (and even some who wouldn't care in the slightest) that his boyfriend was easily the hottest wrestler in the world.

Finally, it was Cap’s turn to appear, and he probably got the loudest reaction. Most of the audience cheered when he walked out, and he kept his eyes on Stark the entire time he made his way down. He shook hands with each member of his team, and Thor even gave his shoulder a quick squeeze before they all walked forward and climbed into the ring. Cap’s music was still playing as the two teams stood across from one another, all of them staring each other down. Amora made an excited noise, and Loki gave her a quick look before turning back to the the screen, not wanting to miss anything. The music stopped, and the crowd started cheering. Luke Cage removed his t-shirt and threw it into the audience, and Amora let out a wistful sigh as she mentioned how amazing it would be to catch that.

The teams backed away from each other, and Luke Cage leaned closer to Cap, saying something that was impossible for anyone to pick up on. His intentions soon became clear, though, when he was left in the ring as the rest of the team climbed out to stand outside the ropes, all of them leaning forward as they waited for the match to begin. Black Panther was the one chosen to begin by Stark, and the two of them were cheered on by each of their teams as they started circling each other. The bell rang, and the two of them immediately rushed forward, Cage quickly getting the upper hand. He proceeded to dominate the match for quite some time, before Black Panther managed to get a well aimed kick in. It seemed to be enough to stun Cage, who almost fell forward before he was forced into the opposite team’s corner, which was probably the last place he wanted to be. Stark's team could easily tag each other in, keeping him in the corner as each and every one of them beat him up. Stark sneered at the other team, shouting at them that he was going to win this one.

“There’s nothing you can do, Cap!” he shouted. “This one’s mine.”

Cap’s jaw was clenched tightly as he glared over at him, and Thor put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down, though he looked incredibly frustrated as well. For a long time, it looked like Cage was in trouble, but then he managed to push Crossbones away from himself, and he crawled over to the other side of the ring to make the tag.

Daredevil was the next to step inside, and the rest of them cheered him on.

“You got this!” Falcon told him, clapping his hands together while Cap was trying to get the audience to start cheering for him. It worked, and the audience began to chant for Daredevil as he rushed forward. Soon enough, Crossbones left the ring, and Vision ducked past the ropes as he stepped into it. He quickly managed to get the upper hand, and it didn’t take long for him to pin Daredevil to the mat. One, two, three. He was out.

“Daredevil has been eliminated,” the ring announcer called out, and the camera quickly panned to Cap’s team. All of them looked caught somewhere between worried and angry, and they had every right to be. They were now four against five. Stark, on the other hand, looked extremely happy about this, and he raised his eyebrows at Cap, mouthing ‘What did I tell you?’

“This is not good,” Amora muttered, and Loki threw another look at her.

“They can still turn it around, can’t they?” he pointed out, and she nodded her head without giving him as much as a glance.

“Sure, but Stark’s team is winning right now.”

Loki sighed, and turned his eyes back to the screen. It was Falcon's turn to step into the ring, and he was quick to attack Vision, who managed to duck his beatings for a while before he tagged Black Panther back into the match. Loki wrung his hands together, and his eyes were drawn to Thor each time he was on screen. He obviously couldn’t wait for him to finally enter the ring, but he supposed they were saving the best for last. Falcon was putting up quite a fight, and after a particularly sinister kick, he got down for the cover. And he got it. The referee counted to three, and Black Panther was out.

This time, Cap’s team was the cheerful one, and Falcon stepped over to high five all of them, before assuring the referee he hadn’t actually tagged anyone into the match. He continued to focus on his team mates, and didn’t notice Vision moving up behind him, not until he had turned around - but by then it was too late. Cap and his team looked less than thrilled as Falcon was eliminated, and Loki turned worried eyes to Amora.

“Three left,” he pointed out, and she nodded her head again.

Luke Cage stepped back into the ring, and he wasted no time before pushing Vision down and throwing as many punches as he could. Loki crossed his fingers as he watched, hoping they would be able to eliminate at least two more members. They really needed to feel like they were at least close to winning. Luckily, his prayers were answered, and Cage managed to pin Vision. He didn't get him, though, but Vision was almost too weak to get back up, and it was only at the very last second he managed to make it over to the right corner so that he could make the tag. Stark’s team looked particularly shocked at this, and Stark seemed to hesitate for a moment before he allowed Hulk to get into the ring. Cage might have been big, but Hulk was bigger, and it wasn’t that difficult for him to turn the match around. That didn’t mean Cage didn’t put up one hell of a fight, though. He did everything he could to get back at Hulk, and when he realized he was getting tired he tried to get back to his corner of the ring so that he could tag in one of the other two. Unfortunately, Hulk wouldn’t let him.

Both Cap and Thor had their arms stretched out, desperately trying to get Cage to come closer. They got the audience to cheer for him, but that did nothing. Cage didn’t miraculously recover, and Hulk pinned him to the mat. One, two - but he kicked out. Loki was impressed. He’d been holding out for a long time now. It didn’t seem like he would be able to fight himself out of this one, though, not until he finally managed to hit Hulk back. He landed one blow after the other, and he somehow got him out of the way long enough to jump over to the other side of the ring and tag Cap into the match. The audience cheered when Cap stepped into the ring, but Loki noticed Thor giving him a worried look in the background. Hulk was a lot bigger than him, but Cap hadn’t even gotten the chance to fight yet, and he was obviously ready for it. It didn’t take him long to tire Hulk out, and Stark was shouting at his client to get back out. They clearly didn’t want to lose him. He was the most powerful one they had, and if they did lose him they would be at an obvious disadvantage. At the moment, they were still four against three, though.

Hulk did manage to make the tag, and Rhodes stepped into the ring. Loki drummed his fingers against his knees as he watched them fight. For once, he was invested in someone other than Thor. Not that he hadn’t enjoyed other matches, but he was never this nervous. Now, he was actually cheering for Cap. He was cheering for the guy dressed in the American flag. This was how far he had come. Well, he had no time to worry about that now. Instead, he pressed his lips together to stop himself from letting out a loud noise when Cap delivered what looked to be one hell of a kick. He threw Rhodes against the ropes, and delivered yet another kick, throwing himself into the air to make it that much more powerful.

“It’s over,” Amora mumbled, and she turned out to be right. The referee once again counted to three, and Rhodes was out. Thor cheered, of course, but Stark did not. In fact, he got Hulk to pull Rhodes out of the ring, and he even jumped down from it so that he could check on him. It was strange to see someone who was supposed to be a heel look so genuinely concerned about someone, and Amora even let out a soft “Aww” when the camera got a closeup of Stark asking Rhodes if he was okay.

Vision stepped back into the ring, and now that he had recovered he put up much more of a fight than Rhodes had done. Thor still had his arm stretched towards Cap, stomping his foot against the mat as he waited for Cap to finally tag him in. It didn’t take long before Cap did just that, and the audience let out another excited cheer as Thor moved forward and immediately pushed Vision down.

Loki leaned a little closer to the TV as he watched them, and this time he did cheer when Thor managed to hold Vision down long enough for the referee to count to three. They were now two against three, and Loki glanced over at Amora, who looked just as excited as he felt.

“They’re going to win,” she said. “There’s no way they’re not. That’s a nice birthday gift, isn’t it?”

“It’s decent,” Loki answered.

Stark was looking a lot more desperate now. He was back up again, and he seemed to consider Hulk and Crossbones for a moment before he shouted at Crossbones to get inside the ring. He was clearly saving the Hulk for last, which was probably a smart choice because if anyone could actually beat the other team on his own, it was him. Thor and Crossbones fought each other for a while, delivering blows and kicks and even a couple of jumps from the top rope. Eventually, Crossbones looked like he was trying to drag Thor over to the other side of the ring, closer to Hulk and Stark, but Thor managed to push him off and hurried over to make the tag.

Cage was back up again, and Thor gave him a pat on the back as he came to stand next to him. Stark was shouting at Crossbones to get Cap, and he was clearly doing his best, but it looked like Cap was beating him. He managed to get Crossbones onto his knees in the middle of the ring. and Thor and Cage cheered him on as he delivered one kick to his chest after the other. Stark was screaming at Crossbones to get up, but he was too out of it to do much other than accept the blows to his chest. Cap pulled him back up again, and the audience let out an excited murmur as it looked like he was setting up for his finisher.

But then it all went dark.

Suddenly, his television screen was black, and Loki frowned in confusion as he leaned forward.

“What happened?” he said. Was his TV broken? Did something happen to the network? But he could still hear the audience, and they sounded just as confused as he felt.

Then the lights turn back on again, and something had changed.

“Oh, my God!” the commentators shouted loudly. Thor and Cage were no longer standing outside the ropes. Instead, they were both unconscious on the ground. Crossbones was on his back, and Cap was still standing over him, but he wasn’t the only one inside that ring. Someone was standing behind him. He was dressed in all black - long pants and what looked to be a protective vest over a black tank top. Something covered his left arm, though. It almost looked like it was made out of metal. It was impossible to see who it was. The guy was wearing a mask that covered the bottom half of his face, and a pair of goggles over his eyes. Loki had never seen anyone like this in wrestling before, and he had to admit he was intrigued. The commentators were shouting that this must be the man who had been attacking people backstage, and now he was just standing there, in the ring, his eyes most likely on Cap.

Cap finally turned around, and there was an equally surprised look on his face as he took in the man standing in front of him. The stranger took a step closer, and it was almost as if everyone in the arena held their breath in unison. And then he delivered a swift blow to his face. That wasn’t enough to hurt Cap, but he clearly wasn’t finished. He managed to spin him around, kicking Cap's back once before he threw an arm over his chest. Cap tried to get loose, but the man held him down, forcing Cap to bend backwards, in what looked to be an uncomfortable angle. He waited a couple of seconds, adjusting his hold on Cap's body, before he did a move that had the audience screaming loudly. It all happened so fast, but from what Loki had been able to see, he had been spinning his own body around, taking Cap with him and slamming his face into the mat.

There was definitely some booing happening as well, but a big part of the audience simply seemed excited about the cool move that had just happened in the ring. The man quickly got back up on his feet and turned his eyes to Stark, who looked just as surprised as everyone else. He seemed at a loss for words, but as soon as the man had left the ring, he called for Crossbones to cover him. Crossbones crawled over to Cap, and draped himself over his lifeless form. The referee counted - one, two, three. Loki let out a loud groan, but Amora shook her head.

“It’s not over yet,” she pointed out. “Cage and Thor are still in it.” But they were still on the ground outside of the ring, and neither one of them were moving. The referee turned around, waiting a moment before he started counting.

“He’s counting them both out?” Loki asked, and Amora nodded without looking at him. So if neither one of them got back inside the ring before he’d counted to ten, they would lose. The man in the mask stopped right outside the ring, looking down at the two of them as he waited for the referee to count. When he had reached eight, he seemed confident enough that they wouldn’t be able to get back up, and slowly began to walk away from there.

“Nine!” the referee shouted, and let out a quiet curse.

“Come on, get up,” he muttered, but no one seemed to be listening to him.

“Ten!” The referee turned around and ordered for them to ring the bell, and Stark immediately let out a happy shout as he jumped down from the ring. The other two followed, and Loki crossed his arms over his chest as they announced that Team Stark had won. As they were celebrating, Cap was slowly pushing himself up, and the camera stayed focused on him as he turned his eyes to the stage, where the man in the mask had stopped in front of the jumbotron. Cap looked confused, and he kept his eyes on the stage, ignoring the sounds of Stark cheering in the background. The man stayed where he was, staring at the ring for a long moment before he reached up and removed his goggles, carelessly tossing them aside before he moved his hand to the mask. The audience started screaming again as he revealed himself, and they quickly cut back to Cap, whose eyes had widened considerably.

“Oh my God!” one of the commentators shouted again. “Oh my God! It’s Bucky! It’s Bucky!”

“Cap’s former tag team partner!” another one yelled.

Loki had no idea what was going on. He was trying his best to ignore their yelling. Cap still looked confused, and… almost sad as he looked at this Bucky person, who was staring back at him. He continued to stand there for a long time, almost as if he was waiting for something, until he finally turned around and left, picking his mask back up again before he disappeared behind the stage.

They cut back to Cap once more, and Loki assumed they were about to end the show with a closeup of his face, but then all of the sudden Stark and his team were back in the ring. Stark seemed particularly gleeful, and he removed his suit jacket, rolling up his sleeves while he ordered them to hold Cap down. He stepped forward and seemed to hesitate for a moment, before he planted his foot against the side of Cap’s head. The audience booed loudly, and some of the children looked horrified as Stark pressed down.

“How does it feel now?” he asked, ignoring Cap's pained groans. “You knew I would win. You knew there was no chance-” Luckily, Stark didn’t get to finish his little speech. The rest of Cap’s team had jumped back inside the ring, and Falcon was quick to tackle Stark, getting him away from Cap.

“Now, this is what I like to see,” Amora said, and Loki rolled his eyes at the smile on her face as Thor and the others proceeded to threw Stark’s team out of the ring, one after one. Eventually, Stark was the only one left, but none of them had time to go for him before he had rolled out of the ring and hurried over to his team. What a coward.

“I still won!” he shouted, putting his suit jacket back on and pretending to brush some dirt off the sleeves. “We still won!” But they played Cap’s song as his team stood inside the ring, and that was how they finally ended it, with Stark shouting that his team had won, damnit, and Thor standing next to Cap with a hand on his back.

“That was intense,” Amora said when it was all over, and Loki turned his eyes to her.

“Who’s Bucky?” he asked, and she shook her head at his ignorance before she explained that Bucky was Cap’s former tag team partner, and that the two of them used to be inseparable.

“If you think Thor and Cap are good friends, you should have seen him with Bucky," she said, an almost fond look on her face. "They were really cute. But then they went their separate ways, and Cap won the US title. And then Bucky got hurt, and he disappeared. I think the last time we saw him… It was probably last year.”

“But he’s a heel now,” Loki pointed out. “What changed?”

“I don’t know.” Amora shrugged, and reached up to brush her fingers through her hair. “You think I know any more than you do about what’s happening? He just got back. I don’t know why he interrupted the match, and I don’t know why he attacked Steve. Maybe he’s bitter?" she suggested. "Cap’s in a great place now. It could be jealousy.”

Whatever it was, Loki assumed they would have to wait to find out for sure. Amora stayed for another hour before she announced it was time for her to leave. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and told him she’d buy him dinner next Friday, and Loki nodded his head before closing the door behind her. He’d barely made it back into the living room before he heard his phone buzzing, and he quickly grabbed it. It was Thor. He smiled, and pressed the button to answer the call.

“You lost,” he said, and tried not to pout as he reached for the remote, putting it back down again once the TV was off. “I thought you were supposed to win? What kind of birthday gift was that?”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Thor didn’t actually sound sorry at all, though. In fact, he sounded rather amused. “Did you get the roses?”

“Yes,” Loki confirmed, and stepped closer to them, gently brushing his fingers against the petals. “All twenty nine of them." He turned away from the flowers and let out a soft sigh. "What is it I'm getting the next time we see each other?”

“You’ll see,” Thor said at once, and Loki's grip on his phone immediately tightened.

“I swear, if you say that one more time…” He didn't even get to finish the threat before Thor cut him off. 

“I’ll make up for it when we see each other, I promise," he said. "Just… be patient, okay? I think you’re going to like it.”

“I better,” Loki muttered.

“So,” Thor continued, clearly wanting to change the subject and get him to talk about something a little nicer. “Other than my team losing… Did you have a nice birthday?”

“It was fine,” Loki said, and arched a brow as he turned his eyes to the bedroom door. “But I think I know how to make it better.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter is kind of long. It's... about ten thousand words. Oops. I'm still trying to figure out how that happened. And I'm a little behind, because this chapter was supposed to have been posted last week. The next chapter will be a Christmas/New Years chapter, and I'm hoping I'll be able to post it this week, or at the very least before this year is over. Until then, enjoy!

After their conversation, Loki spent quite a bit of time wondering what Thor had in store for him. When he finally found out what it was, though, he was more surprised than he probably should have been. He had assumed that Thor would be coming to New York to spend a couple of days with him, but that wasn’t quite what he got. One week after his birthday, Thor called to let him know what his real present was. 

“I got you a ticket,” he said, sounding more than a little excited. “For TLC. It’s going to be in New York, and I figured you’d want to go.”

“I hesitate to ask what TLC is,” Loki said with a sigh. He knew he’d heard that before somewhere, but he couldn’t remember what it meant. It sounded like a disease. 

“Tables, ladders, and chairs,” Thor said, his voice soft as he explained it to him. “It should be entertaining for you to watch. There’s going to be a ladder match, a tables match, a chair match… Maybe a tables, ladders, _and_ chairs match. You know. It’ll be something out of the ordinary.”

Loki nodded his head, even though Thor couldn’t see him and even though he still wasn’t actually sure what a tables, ladders, and chairs match actually was. Well, he supposed he would find out soon enough. If Thor was offering him the ticket, and if they were coming back to New York, he would obviously have to go. He doubted work would be able to stand in his way this time. The pay-per-view would be on a Sunday, and Loki certainly hoped he wouldn’t have to attend any long meetings on a Sunday.

“So,” Thor said when he had been quiet a little too long. “Is that something… Do you want to go?”

“Yes,” Loki said, and nodded his head again. “Yes, I want to go. Perhaps this one will be more entertaining than the last show I attended.”

“Are you telling me that Raw wasn’t entertaining? It was my return, how could it not have been?” Thor teased, though his tone changed into something a little more serious as he continued. “I was actually thinking… maybe you’d like to go backstage after the show? That would be the second part of your present. You’d get to meet Tony. And if you want to slap him, I’m not going to stand in your way. I’ll probably just end up laughing, to be honest.” 

“I’ll take that into consideration,” Loki told him. If Thor was okay with him slapping Stark, it would probably be very difficult not to. He had a feeling it would have been enormously satisfying to punch or slap that asshole. He didn’t care what he was like in real life, the only thing he cared about was the fact that he was forced to look at that smug face of his almost every fucking week. He felt like it was time for someone to take him down a peg. Or two. 

“Then it’s settled, I guess,” Thor said. “We’ll see each other in a few weeks. Are you as excited as I am?”

“Probably not quite as much,” Loki said with a soft laugh. “But perhaps I’ll get there. What kind of match will you be participating in?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Thor said. “I think it might be a tables match, but it could also be a tables, ladders and chairs match. We’ll see. Either way, I’ll try to entertain you to the best of my ability.”

“Well, if you disappoint me in the ring, you can always make up for it later,” Loki pointed out with a sly grin on his face, and Thor chuckled - hopefully in agreement. 

“I suppose that’s an option, yes. But I’ll try not to disappoint. You’re not the only one whose expectations I have to live up to. I’d hate disappointing my fans.” 

But Loki was his biggest fan, which was why he should have been focusing on his opinion. Those other fools didn't matter. As long as Loki was impressed and pleased by the match, the rest of them should be as well. Clearly this was something he should have reminded Thor of, but he was hoping he already knew it. If he had not understood by now that Loki’s opinion mattered more than anything, there was no hope for them. 

“And I’ll get to introduce you as my boyfriend, right? Or have you changed your mind about that?” Thor asked.

“Not yet, no. But we could make a deal. If you win your match, you’ll get to introduce me as your boyfriend. If you lose… Well, if you lose I won’t even bother coming backstage with you. I can’t be seen standing next to a loser.”

“That sounds like a fair deal, I suppose,” Thor said with a sigh. “Alright, you’re on.”

And just like that, Loki knew Thor would win his match. Well, he couldn’t be one hundred percent sure, but he doubted that was the kind of deal Thor would agree to if he did not know for certain he would win. He did want to take him backstage after all, and he also clearly wanted to introduce him as his boyfriend. He would not risk losing that opportunity, which meant that even if the original plan had not been for him to win, he would most likely beg whoever was in charge on his very knees to please, please let him win. 

Of course, Loki called Amora the next day to let her know what he was about to experience. She sounded incredibly jealous, just as he had hoped she would. After what she had done, he felt like he had every right to gloat a little bit. She had been bragging as if she was the one who had gotten them back together, and now she would suffer the consequences. This was what he would get to experience if he was with Thor. He would get to see live shows, and he would get to go backstage to meet the wrestlers. Unlike her, who would have to watch it at home, on her TV.

“This really isn’t fair,” she pointed out. “I’ve been watching wrestling longer than you have. You haven’t even been watching for a year, and you’re going to get to meet them? You better bring me back some autographs. I want signed pictures. Especially of the guys. Especially shirtless.”

“Aren’t you about to get married?” Loki asked. “What do you think your dear husband-to-be would say if he knew you were lusting after other men?”

“I’m sure he would understand,” she said. “I mean, have you seen these men?” 

That was a fair point, he supposed. Not that he was paying much attention to those other men when Thor was around. Why look at mere mortals when he could be staring at a god? Even though most of the other wrestlers looked good, they simply paled in comparison to Thor. Not that he ever would have said any of these things out loud. He was not an idiot. He was quite certain he never would have lived it down, especially if he said it around Amora. 

The next couple of weeks passed much too slowly for his taste. Now that it was December, he was constantly being reminded of how close they were to Christmas. It felt like every part of the city was being decorated, speakers were blasting Christmas music wherever he went, and there seemed to be even more people outside than usual. It wasn't particularly cold though,and Loki doubted they would have a white Christmas. Not that he cared. He had no use for snow. He liked the way it looked, but that was it. There was no way he would be making snowballs or snow angels. He wasn't a child. The snow could wait a while longer. 

As for work, they had quite a lot to do leading up to the holidays. Nevertheless, things had calmed down considerably, which Loki was more than happy about. It was a lot less stressful, and he no longer had to worry about work making no room for his personal life. Not that he had much of a personal life. Even so, there was no way he would allow his job to stand in the way of him seeing Thor. Not this time. 

Of course, plenty of things were happening in the wrestling world. Survivor Series had made a big impact. Cap and Stark were still going at it, though Cap had other things to worry about as well. Bucky - or the Winter Soldier as some people seemed to be referring to him as - showed up on Raw again the next night. But not when Cap asked him to come out and join him in the ring. Instead, he proceeded to attack him backstage, and the two of them fought for a moment before he disappeared once more. Bucky continued to make several appearances in the next couple of weeks, and it quickly became obvious that they were building up to some sort of feud. Thor did his best to calm Cap down and keep him focused - and so did Falcon and Black Widow - but it seemed incredibly difficult for him to let it go. 

Stark didn't seem to be able to let anything go either. He kept antagonizing the other team at every opportunity, and they were clearly getting sick of him. Finally, on the last Raw before TLC, it was announced that the two teams would face each other once more, this time in a tables match. Apparently, this was the kind of rivalry they simply could not let go of. Well, Loki was not complaining. He now knew he would get to watch Thor and Stark at the same time, and if he was lucky maybe Stark would actually get hurt this time. Maybe Thor would try to make that happen, as an extra birthday gift for him? Loki could certainly dream, could he not?

As the last couple of days before the show went by, Loki began to realize that he was a little nervous. Not because of the show. Granted, he would be going alone this time, but that didn’t bother him. He could sit there on his own, surrounded by a bunch of strangers who would most likely do nothing but annoy him. The thing he was nervous about was what would happen after the show. He met new people all the time, and he knew perfectly well how to handle himself in social situations, but these were not just any people. These were Thor’s friends. These were people he saw all the time. What if they didn’t like him? Loki wished he could have simply said fuck them and not given a damn whether they liked him or not, but it wasn’t that easy. If they didn’t like him, there was a chance they would tell Thor as much, and what if Thor came to realize they were right? What if he realized he simply wasn’t worth it, and that he brought far too much drama with him for their relationship to be worth it? Loki almost changed his mind about going, but then he reminded himself that he was no coward. If Thor’s friends didn’t like him, they could all go fuck themselves. The only thing that mattered was that Thor liked him. Or so he hoped. 

Finally, Sunday arrived, and it was time for Loki to attend the show. Since it didn’t start until eight, he had quite a bit of time to prepare himself. Once he’d showered, he stood in front of the mirror for a long time, wondering if he should wear Thor’s shirt. On the one hand, he knew how much Thor liked that shirt, and he kind of enjoyed the idea of his exes seeing him wear it. On the other hand, he didn’t want Thor’s friends to think he was nothing but some silly fan or possibly even a stalker.

He probably changed his mind about ten times before he finally decided that he wasn’t going to wear the t-shirt. Instead, he found a much simpler, greener one. He put on a black cardigan as well, and spent a moment wondering if perhaps he should wear another pair of pants than the black ones he currently had on, before he told himself he was being ridiculous. Thor’s friends had no right to judge him. They would probably still be dressed up in their wrestling gear, and no man wearing an American flag could judge him for the outfit he was wearing. 

Once the clothes had been chosen, he spent yet another moment wondering if he should take the car or the train. The show was in Brooklyn, and he had no intention of walking. He supposed the train would be easier, but if Thor was coming back to his place - something they still hadn’t actually discussed - he supposed he would want some privacy, and it was easier for him to get away from the fans if he was in a car. As so, it was decided. He would be taking the car. Soon enough, it was time for him to leave, and Loki made sure he had everything he needed before he headed outside and locked the door. 

There was quite a bit of traffic. It was a good thing he had left early because it saved him from getting nervous that he wouldn’t make it. When he arrived at the arena, there was still an hour left before the show was supposed to begin, and he let out a sigh as he stepped out of the car and joined the other fans as he waited to get inside. They all seemed really excited, and Loki spotted a couple of people wearing Thor’s shirt. He almost wanted to tell each and every one of them that they could never be a bigger fan than he was, but he managed to restrain himself. At least he wasn’t quite as annoyed by the people around him as he had been last time. He recognized quite a lot of shirts now, and even a couple of cosplays. He saw a woman dressed up as Black Widow, and even someone dressed up as Bucky. That person must have worked awfully fast to finish that outfit. 

Loki sent a text to Thor to let him know he was there, assuming Thor would be pleased to know that he wasn’t going to miss the show this time. He was actually here, and he had to admit, he was getting excited. Thor had gotten him a seat at ringside, and while Loki had disliked sitting this close to the ring last time, he was actually quite pleased by it now. This meant he would get a much better view of Thor when he came out, though he assumed he would have to wait a while. Most likely, Thor’s match would be the main event. Again. 

Soon enough, a lot of people had found their way to their seats, and when it was about thirty minutes left before the show was supposed to start they were treated to a match that was part of the pre-show. It was simply to get the crowd started, and Loki watched no more than a few minutes of it before he decided he didn't care. Instead, he looked around the arena, watching the people as they tried to find their seats. He saw several different signs, but it was difficult to make out all of them. After squinting for a couple of seconds, he realized someone had an ‘I came here for Thor’ sign, and he briefly wondered if he should have brought something similar. That probably would have surprised Thor quite a bit. He almost started chuckling when he imagined the look on his face, and he shook his head before turning his eyes to the ring. 

The people next to him were talking quite loudly about what matches they were excited for, and he had to hide a smirk when someone mentioned they really couldn't wait for the tables match. He also heard someone mentioning Thor, and he slowly turned his eyes to that person, who was wearing Tor's shirt and seemed to have a miniature version of the hammer. He clearly wasn’t the only one who was excited about Thor. Well, it made sense. The fans were always screaming for him. 

A couple of minutes later, the match was over, and they had to wait a while longer for the show to begin. Loki glanced down at his phone, smiling when he saw that Thor had sent him a text. 

‘Hope you’ll enjoy the show. I’ll see you out there.’ 

Loki tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach, and held his breath as the show finally began. They went right ahead and got a match started, and Loki realized he had forgotten how loud the crowd could actually be when they started cheering for the first couple of wrestlers. It was definitely quite different from sitting at home with Amora. He rolled his eyes at some of the things people were shouting, though he had to admit it was difficult not to get swept up in the excitement. The very first match was a ladder match, and it was actually quite entertaining to see people jump or push each other down from those tall ladders. All in all, it was a very good match, and the crowd seemed to love it. They were off to a great start, and now all Loki could do was hope that the rest of the show would be just as good. That way, at least he wouldn't be bored while he waited for Thor to come out. 

And it was surprisingly good. There were some great matches, and the crowd seemed really into it. Thor had actually told him that the New York fans were some of the best fans they had, because they were not afraid to be loud and they were really into it. Loki could tell. There were so many different chants, and people were cheering and booing wrestlers and their moves. All of it really helped make the matches even more exciting. That didn't mean he didn't occasionally find them annoying though. They were a little too loud at times, and it almost seemed like they were more into the chanting than the actual matches. 

Finally, they only had the last match left, and Loki was practically buzzing as he waited for Thor to come out. First, they showed a promo, summing up what had been going on these last couple of weeks. They showed how the feud had gotten started, and of course what had happened the last time they’d had a match. They also showed Bucky, which made Loki assume that he would be making another appearance. He did seem to be part of this storyline. 

Just like last time, Stark’s team was the first to come out, and Loki narrowed his eyes when Crossbones' music began to play. One after one, they all came out and climbed into the ring. Nothing made him quite as annoyed as finally hearing Hulk’s theme, though, and Loki had to admit he fully enjoyed the crowd’s loud booing as Stark and Hulk made their way down the ramp. He hadn’t gotten the chance to see Stark the last time he’d been there, but now he could finally glare at him. He was incredibly tempted to boo him, but he realized he would have felt silly for it. Instead he simply kept glaring at him, wishing he could jump over the barricade and slap that smug smile off his face. He also wished he could have taken the Money in the Bank briefcase from him, but that clearly was not happening. 

All of them gathered inside the ring, and Loki was sitting close enough to spot their facial expressions even without the jumbotron. Basically, he could see how pleased with himself Stark was at the moment, and he really, really hoped that he would get hurt this time. Or at the very least that his team would lose. 

He quickly turned away from him as soon as Daredevil’s music came on, turning his eyes to the stage where he was walking out. While he appreciated all of their entrances (and he did hear quite a lot of women screaming loudly when Luke Cage appeared) he wanted nothing more than to see Thor again. Once Cage had joined Falcon and Daredevil, he knew it was Thor’s turn to come out, and he held his breath again as he waited. 

At last, that by now familiar music hit, and Loki stood up, feeling such a rush as Thor stepped out on the stage. One quick glance at the jumbotron told him Thor looked amazing. The crowd was screaming incredibly loudly, and once again he could hear quite a few women yelling out their appreciation. Well, they could scream as loudly as they wanted. They could never have him. Thor was his. There was something incredibly satisfying about realizing that the man currently walking down that ramp was all his. The rest of them could look, and they could scream, and they could wish they were with Thor, but for him? For him, it was a reality. He was with Thor. He was the one who would get to go backstage after this, and he was the one who would get to take him home. 

Loki realized he was smirking, but he really couldn’t help it. Thor looked fantastic - all big arms, tanned skin, and wet hair - and he couldn't take his eyes off him. Not even when Cap’s music came on, and the audience started cheering loudly once again. Loki almost wanted to tell them all to shut up and let him stare at Thor in peace, but he had a feeling his words would have gone unnoticed. The good thing about watching it live instead of on TV was that he could keep his eyes on Thor the whole time. No one was deciding what he was supposed to be watching, if he wanted to watch Thor every single second of this match, he could. And he had a feeling he probably would. 

Once Cap had joined the others they finally climbed into the ring, and just like last time the two teams glared at each other for a long moment while the music faded away. When it stopped, the audience began to cheer even louder, and Loki heard several people shouting things he couldn’t even make out. They were probably just trying to cheer for the individual wrestlers. Stark seemed to be taunting the other team with the briefcase, as if he wanted to remind them that his client could become champion at any moment. As soon as the champion actually arrived that is. It was difficult to cash in on someone who wasn’t actually around. Thor had explained to him that Thanos wasn’t on the show very often, but it seemed strange for a champion to never appear. Loki had to admit, he was curious about him. He hadn’t even looked him up online yet, because he was hoping that he would get to see him live, but so far he had missed him every time he had appeared. He was cursed.

It was only once the bell rang and the two teams began to attack each other that Loki realized he had no idea what a tables match was all about. There were tables outside of the ring, but nothing inside, and what were they even supposed to do with them? Stark had climbed out of the ring as soon as they had gotten started, and was now clutching the briefcase to his chest as he watched them go at it. It was even more chaotic than Loki had thought it would be. Since all of them were fighting at the same time, it was difficult to know who to watch. Well, it would have been, if he had cared about anyone other than Thor, who was currently fighting Hulk. Cap and Crossbones had ended up outside of the ring, and soon Daredevil and Rhodes followed. Falcon seemed to be looking for something under the ring, and a moment later he was pulling out sticks and chairs, tossing all of them over the ropes. Thor shouted a quick thanks before he grabbed one of the chairs, holding it into the air to give the fans a chance to cheer before he slammed it against Hulk's chest. And it made quite a loud noise. 

Most of the wrestlers were on the ground by now, probably so that they could focus on a few people at the time. At the moment, they seemed to be focusing on Thor and Hulk. They were the only ones still fighting. Eventually, two of Hulk’s team mates got inside the ring, and together all three of them managed to get the chair away from Thor so that they could throw him out of the ring. The focus turned to Cap and Falcon, and Loki tried to get a good look at Thor, who was on the ground on the other side of the ring. He was so focused on him, he barely noticed what was going on inside the ring. That is, until there was an excited murmur running through the crowd, and he had to see what was going on. Rhodes was on a table, and Cap was on the top rope, looking like he was ready to jump. He did, and the two of them smashed through the table as the audience cheered.

“Rhodes has been eliminated,” the ring announcer called out, and Loki raised a brow. So that was how a tables match worked? They had to eliminate the other team by putting them through tables? Fair enough. Crossbones was the next to go, and Loki wondered if Stark’s team would be able to turn this around. He got his answer when Black Panther and Vision eliminated both Daredevil and Luke Cage. They were now three against three. Thor, Cap, and Falcon seemed to work pretty well together, though. Thor threw a ladder over the ropes, and Falcon was quick to set it up while Cap worked on bringing two tables inside the ring. All three of them attacked Hulk, and together they managed to get him up on one of the tables. Before they had time to do anything else, though, Vision and Black Panther had joined them. Thor and Falcon were quick to get them out of the ring, following them so that they would be able to stop them from coming back in. Cap took one look at Hulk before he began to climb the ladder, and some people in the crowd were standing up as they waited to see what would happen. Loki remained seated, though he had to admit he wasn’t actually looking at Thor at this point. 

Soon enough, Cap was at the top, and he looked to be just about ready to jump when the whole place went dark. Loki frowned, and he could hear some people screaming. There was a lot of talking amongst the crowd, but since he had no one to talk to he simply waited, assuming it was time for Bucky to make his appearance. The lights didn't immediately go back on. Instead, someone had aimed a spotlight at Cap, who was still on top of the ladder. But there was a second spotlight, aimed at the stage, where Bucky was standing. This time, he wasn’t doing anything, or saying anything. He was simply standing there, his mask and goggles nowhere to be seen as he watched Cap. It probably went on for about a minute, the two of them staring at each other, and when the lights came back on again Bucky was nowhere to be seen. 

Hulk took advantage of Cap’s distraction, and managed to get down from the table and push the ladder out of the way. Cap fell out of the ring, and Loki turned his eyes to Stark when he realized he was laughing. His laughter stopped abruptly, though, when Thor walked closer to him. Stark held his hands up, shouting at Thor that he wasn’t even in the match. He wasn't running away, though. He allowed Thor to come closer, and just as Thor was about to attack he took the briefcase and hit him with it. The audience gasped as Thor stumbled back. He gave Stark a look, and Loki smirked along with him when he picked up one of the chairs. 

“Thor is gonna kill you!” some people behind Loki began to chant, and soon enough a big part of the arena went along with it. Thor closed in on Stark, who tried to get away from him, but he was stopped by Falcon. He attempted to get past him, but Thor hurried over and hit the chair against his back. The audience cheered as Stark let out a pained yell and fell down to his knees, and Thor waited a couple of seconds before he did it again. Stark was on all fours, and Falcon stood there and watched as Thor hit his back again. Loki was ecstatic. It was one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen - Stark letting out one loud groan after the other as he got exactly what he deserved - and he wished it would never end. 

Thor had only hit him about five or six times, though, when Hulk and Vision came over to help Stark. The audience booed loudly as they got Stark away from them, and Loki crossed his arms over his chest. The fighting continued, and Black Panther was the next to be eliminated. Then it was Falcon's turn, and after that it was Vision. Now Hulk was the only one left on Stark's team, while Cap and Thor could still work together. Hulk was putting up quite a fight, though. He seemed to get angrier and angrier the more time passed, and while he was getting angrier he also seemed to be losing his control. He didn’t even listen to Stark barking orders at him. At one point, it looked like he was winning, as he put both Cap and Thor on the same table. But, as usual, he was too slow to actually smash anyone through a table, and the two of them got off just in time for him to crash through it on his own. Now that he was a bit groggy, Thor quickly moved him over to one of the tables outside of the ring, and Cap climbed to the top rope, a big part of the crowd standing up as he jumped. And he got him. The bell rang, and Cap’s team was announced as the winning one. 

The rest of the audience quickly got to their feet. There was a lot of cheering and even a little bit of booing, but Loki paid them no mind. His focus was on Thor, and he tilted his head to the side as he watched him. Thor grabbed Cap’s arm and held it up, and the two of them went around the ring to pose for the fans, being joined by the rest of the team after a while. After that, the show was over. Some people began to leave, while others stayed behind. One after one, the wrestlers left the ring, until Cap and Thor were the only ones left. They shared a hug, and Thor seemed to be whispering something into Cap’s ear, but of course it was impossible for anyone else to hear it. When the audience cheered for them, they shared a look before hurrying forward and climbing up the ropes, each of them posing in a corner. Loki could have sworn Thor was looking in his direction. In fact, he was pretty sure their eyes met for a couple of seconds, and he resisted the urge to shake his head as he clapped his hands together. 

A couple of minutes later, Thor and Cap had left as well, and Loki figured there was no reason for him to stay behind. When he was on his way up the stairs he got another text from Thor, telling him exactly where to wait for him. While he did, he watched the people making their way outside, crossing his arms as he wondered how long it would take for Thor to get there. But Thor wasn't even the one who finally showed up. Suddenly someone else was saying his name, and Loki turned around, raising a brow at the short, bald man who was watching him. 

“Yes?”

“Follow me,” the man said, and Loki watched him suspiciously for a moment before he obeyed, following him through the still big crowds of people as they made their way over to a white door. He swiped a card and pressed some sort of code before he pulled it open, and Loki felt like he was being taken to a secret vault. That wasn’t exactly it, though. The man held the door open for him, and Loki stepped through it, blinking as he looked around. They seemed to be in the middle of another hallway, and there were plenty of people running around here as well, but they didn’t look like fans. He saw men in suits and men wearing all black clothes. He saw people with cameras, and headsets, and he was so busy looking at everything he didn’t even notice that Thor had turned up by his side.

“Is this him?” the man asked, and Loki nearly jumped when Thor slid an arm around his waist. 

“It’s him. Thank you,” Thor confirmed, and gave the man a brief smile before he turned his eyes to Loki. “Hello.”

“Hi,” Loki said, and pulled his eyes away from him again, shaking his head as he looked around. “Are you the only wrestler here?” 

“Not exactly,” Thor chuckled. “They might be in their locker rooms. We’ll have to go look for them.” He used his arm around his waist to pull him closer, and Loki felt his heart speeding up as soon as he was pressed to Thor’s chest. There were still people around, people who could have been watching them, and Thor didn’t seem to care. He seemed so… comfortable, so at ease, like this was where he belonged, and Loki supposed that he did. He must have been used to these kinds of environments, but he assumed he wasn’t used to walking around with his boyfriend. 

“So, what did you think?” Thor asked, and raised a brow. “Did you like it?”

“I enjoyed it a lot, yes. Especially when you hit Stark with that chair,” Loki answered with a smirk, and Thor’s smile widened. 

“That was all for you,” he said, and Loki believed him. It was enough to make him want to kiss Thor just to show him how grateful he was, but he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries. He wasn’t sure if Thor would want to kiss him when they were-- Thor interrupted his thoughts by bringing their lips together, thereby answering his question. It was a brief kiss, but an oh so enjoyable one, and Loki could feel something inside his chest fluttering when Thor pulled back again. He saw Thor’s gaze moving down, and he was confused at the disappointed look on his face until he spoke up again.

“You’re not wearing my shirt,” Thor pointed out, and took a small step back. “Don’t you know you’re supposed to wear wrestling shirts to these shows? What kind of a fan are you?”

“I’ll wear one next time,” Loki said, and put his hand on Thor’s chest, trying to give him a shove, but Thor didn’t even budge. That’s when he realized Thor wasn’t even wearing his costume anymore. He was back in normal clothes, and he had to admit he was a little disappointed that he wouldn’t get to give that outfit a closer look. “You’re not wearing your gear.”

“I’ll wear it next time” Thor said, and gave him another smile as he stepped closer and wrapped his arm around his waist. “So. Shall we?”

Loki nodded his head, and tried his best to ignore his nerves. This was unfamiliar territory. He wasn’t used to being introduced as someone’s boyfriend, and he wasn’t used to meeting that boyfriend’s friends. Besides, he had an even bigger reason to be nervous. He wouldn’t just be meeting Thor’s friends, he would be meeting his colleagues, and these colleagues were wrestlers. It was almost as if he was meeting his family and his friends at the same time. These people had to be like family to him. He saw them all the time. In fact, he saw them more than his parents. Of course he would grow attached to them. 

Loki tried to force himself to calm down as Thor led him through the hallways. He glanced around, not sure what he was supposed to think. He watched as someone carried a bunch of tables past them, and then someone followed with even more chairs. What looked to be two wrestlers chased each other down the hallway, and Thor chuckled heartily by his side. 

“There they are,” he said after a couple of minutes, and Loki gave him a quick look before he attempted to follow his gaze, realizing what he was talking about when he noticed Cap and Black Widow. Widow was sitting on a table, her legs crossed and her arms resting on her knees as she looked at Cap, who seemed to be telling some kind of joke, since they both laughed a moment later. Cap was no longer in his wrestling gear. Instead, he wore a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt which once again looked way too tight on him. He had his big arms crossed over his chest, though he looked much more at ease than the last time Loki had seen him. It seemed like Widow still had her costume on, though she was wearing a grey hoodie over it, and she smiled as she played with one of the strings.

They both turned their heads when they came closer, and Loki steeled himself for whatever was about to happen, telling himself now was not the time to panic. He could do this. He was good at this. Meeting new people had never been scary to him before. There was no reason for that to change now. 

“Speak of the devil,” Widow said, and gave Thor a small smile before she turned her eyes to Loki. “We were beginning to wonder if you’d gotten lost. Did you take a little detour on the way over here?”

“Hardly,” Thor chuckled, and gave Loki’s waist a firm squeeze, almost as if he knew he was nervous. “Well, this is Loki, my boyfriend.” And the way he said that, sounding so proud, was more than enough to make those butterflies return to Loki's stomach. “Loki, this is Natasha, and… Well, you’ve already met Steve.”

“Of course,” Loki said, and tilted his head to the side. “I hardly recognized you without those red cheeks, Captain, but I suppose you have no reason to be blushing this time.” He was fully dressed after all. Cap… Steve seemed happy about that, and he held his hand out. Loki wiped his own on his pants before he shook it.

“As long as you keep your clothes on, I’ll be fine,” Steve said, and Loki raised a brow. Thor’s grip on his waist tightened, and Loki suddenly wondered if flirting with Captain America would be such a crime. He was yet to see the jealous side of Thor, and he had to admit, he was intrigued. He wasn’t sure if his best friend was a suitable target, though. Intrigued or not, he didn’t want to be responsible for any rifts between the two of them. He had a feeling Thor would not enjoy that quite as much as he would. 

“As long as you keep your clothes on,” Natasha repeated, and shook her head. “It's a good thing I've already heard this story, or I would have been very confused right now.” She reached out and put an arm on Steve’s shoulder. “Didn't you tell us you didn't blush?" she asked. Steve refused to answer her, so she turned to Loki instead. "You have to be gentle with the poor Captain here. His ears are a little too delicate for that kind of talk.”

Thor snorted at that, and Steve pushed her hand away from his shoulder. “Cut it out, Romanoff,” he said.

“I’ll be more careful in the future,” Loki promised, and Natasha smiled at him. 

“I hope you’re not suggesting you’ll open the door wearing nothing but a towel again any time soon,” Thor said, and Loki turned his head to meet his eyes. 

“What was I supposed to do? If you’d stayed in the room instead of leaving me, perhaps I wouldn’t have had to open the door wearing nothing but a towel. I could have stayed in bed, and if he would've seen me... We could have let him come to his own conclusions.” He wasn’t sure if that kind of talk was allowed in front of Thor’s friends, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, his lips curled into a smirk, and Loki could have sworn he looked like he wanted to kiss him. Before either of them could move, though, Steve had cleared his throat, and both of them turned their eyes away. 

“What did you do that for?” Natasha asked. “It was just getting interesting.” Steve shook his head at her, but Natasha was clearly pretending not to notice. “So, Loki. What did you think of the show?”

“I enjoyed it,” Loki said. “I’m happy these two actually won this time.” He could tell that wasn’t all she had been asking about. She probably wanted to know what he’d thought of her match, and he decided to indulge her. He did want Thor's friends to approve of him. “I have to say, I was quite impressed by your match as well. I especially enjoy that move of yours, the one where you wrap yourself around your opponents and force them to submit.”

“The Black Widow,” Natasha confirmed, and nodded her head as she gave him a pleased look. "That's my favorite move." At least he’d managed to get someone on board. He had a feeling Steve wasn’t as big of a fan, but he could fix that later, if it ever became a problem. For some reason, he got the feeling that Steve was the kind of friend who would be okay with him as long as he was making Thor happy, and at the moment? At the moment, he hoped he was making Thor happy. 

The four of them continued to talk about the show for the next couple of minutes, and Loki realized that this wasn’t anything to be nervous about. Thor and Steve teased each other, and Natasha teased both of them. Even Loki got to join in, and he had to admit, teaming up with her was kind of nice. He easily could have spent the rest of his visit like this, but after about fifteen minutes, someone interrupted them.

“Okay, who stole my watch?” They all turned around, watching as none other than Stark walked over to them. He was wearing a different suit now, a striped one, but other than that he looked no different than he had done out there. He didn't even seem to be in pain. Loki immediately narrowed his eyes, and he wondered what all of them would have done if he simply went ahead and slapped him. Thor had told him he wouldn’t stop him.

“I swear, if I find out it was you, Rogers…” 

“I didn’t take your watch, Tony,” Steve said. “Maybe you should ask Bucky?” The rest of them laughed at that, and Loki suddenly felt like he was missing some kind of inside joke. Not that he could be terribly upset about that when Stark was standing no more than two feet away from him. He was shaking his head, and turned his eyes to every single one of them, raising his eyebrows when his gaze finally landed on Loki. 

“I don’t believe I’ve seen you around before,” he said, and tilted his head to the side as he gave Thor a look. “You must be Loki. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. This one won’t shut up about you.” Loki gave him a surprised look at that. Thor talked about him? He talked about him a lot? 

“That’s not entirely true, Tony,” Thor pointed out. 

“Isn’t it? Sometimes I feel like I’m going to have to start wearing earplugs around you.” Loki shot him an unimpressed look, not at all liking the way he was teasing Thor.

“Don’t worry about him,” he told Thor. “He’s probably just sour because his team lost.” 

Tony gave him a curious look at that, and shoved his hands inside his pockets. 

“Because my team lost?” he repeated, and nodded his head. “Okay. That's fair. I, however, have a different theory. Maybe I’m a bit sour because that victory was rightfully mine. Hulk had them both on that table. He should have been able to take them out. Besides, this one's supposed to be a good guy.” He tilted his head in Thor's direction. "But he didn't feel like much of a good guy when he was hitting me with that chair."

“Maybe you need to keep your beast under control,” Loki shot back at him. 

“My beast?”

“If he had known what he was doing, he probably could have won. But he doesn't. He has no clue. Not only does he look like an airhead, but he actually  _is_ one. Thor and Cap managed to get the upper hand because he wasted his one good opportunity. He could have taken care of them both at the same time. Why didn’t he? Because he wasted too much time. He was too slow. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that move has never actually worked for him, has it? Face it, Stark. Maybe it’s time to teach that lapdog of yours some new tricks.”

Loki realized, once he paused to take a much needed breath, that everyone else had gone quiet. Steve and Natasha were both looking at him with their eyebrows raised, and he could practically feel Thor’s gaze on him as well. Did that mean he had to stop? Because he hadn't even gotten to the part about the chair hitting yet, and that was something he definitely wanted to talk about. He decided to wait a couple of seconds, though. Stark considered him for a long moment, rubbing his hand against his chin before he pointed a finger at him. 

“I like him,” he said, and turned his eyes to Thor. “I don’t know where you found him, but he’s a decent talker.” Loki frowned at that. Decent? He was decent? Oh, please. He'd only just gotten started. Stark hadn't seen anything yet. “Here’s my card,” Stark continued, and pulled something out of the inside of his suit jacket. “In case you ever want to get together and snap unpleasantries at each other. I could use the workout. These people are only interested in their wrestling.” The other three all looked offended at that, but Stark ignored them. Loki frowned as he took the card from him, and gave him an unimpressed look when he realized that he didn’t just have his name and information on there, he also had a big picture of himself. 

“And speaking of my lapdog,” Stark continued, and held his arms out as none other than the Hulk came over. “Bruce, I’ve been looking all over for you. Did you see someone wearing a rolex? Someone who looked like they couldn’t possible afford one?”

“Sorry, Tony,” Bruce said, and shrugged his shoulders. He looked enormous next to Stark, though Loki couldn’t help but notice that there was something different about him. First of all, he was wearing normal clothes. Second of all, he didn't seem quite as tall and proud as he did inside the ring. In fact, he could detect a bit of a hunch, and the angry look on his face was gone. 

Loki was pretty sure he was staring, but it was difficult not to stare when there were so many changes in one man. Bruce looked nothing like the Hulk, and he wasn’t sure how he managed that. 

“You know, this guy right here was calling you my little bitch a couple of seconds ago,” Stark said, and gave Bruce a nudge before he pointed at Loki. “You think you dare say that now when he’s standing right next to me?”

Loki tilted his head up to meet Bruce’s eyes. Was Stark challenging him? Well, he wasn’t about to back down. He couldn’t let Stark think he was a coward.

“I don’t believe bitch is the term, I used,” he began. “But yes, I could say it again, in case you did not hear it the first time, Stark.”

“You _should_ be scared,” Stark insisted, and Loki could have sworn he heard Steve and Natasha groan in unison. “Look at the size of him. You really think your pretty boy over there can take him?”

Loki gave him an overly polite smile, the one he would use whenever clients were being particularly difficult and he was doing everything he could not to strangle them. 

“As far as I know, my pretty boy has already beaten that big brute of yours several times. He beat him an hour ago, in fact. If you’re so eager for your client to prove himself, then perhaps the two of them should have another match? One on one. Winner takes all.”

Stark actually gave him a confused look at that. “Winner takes all?” he repeated.

“Your Money in the Bank briefcase,” Loki said without hesitating, keeping his eyes on Stark and ignoring the rest of them. “That briefcase should have been Thor’s, and I would prefer not to see you strutting around with it a minute longer. What do you say, Stark? Are you brave enough to take that bet?”

Stark watched him for a long moment, giving him a calculating look before he broke out into a smile. “Nice,” he said. “Very nice. You know, I might actually try to make that happen. It’d make for an exciting match, wouldn’t it?” He put his hand on Bruce’s arm, since he could barely reach his shoulder. “What do you say, Bruce? Would you care for a ladder match? Oh, damn. We should have had it tonight, shouldn’t we?” 

“We could always make it happen some other time,” Thor said, finally speaking up again after having been awfully quiet during their whole exchange. “You know, Bruce, I think we’re going to have to keep these two separated.”

“I agree,” Bruce said, and put one of his arms around Stark’s shoulders. His knees looked like they were buckling under all that weight, and Loki couldn’t help but snort. “You two place nice now.” 

“What’s the fun in playing nice?” Stark asked. “Am I right, Loki?” 

Loki didn’t answer him. Thor let out a chuckle, and he turned his eyes to him instead. They looked at each other, and once again Loki was almost sure that Thor was about to kiss him, but Stark interrupted them before they could move as much as an inch.

“I will give you a thousand dollars to kiss on camera.”

Everyone turned to look at him, and he raised his hands as well as his eyebrows. “What? Not enough? How about five thousand?” 

“Why would you want them to kiss on camera?” Bruce asked. 

“Because I just want to see the audience’ reaction when their badass hero starts making out with another man,” Stark said, shrugging his shoulders as he fished a wallet out of his pocket. “No offense,” he added as an afterthought, and Loki could feel Thor’s arm tightening around his waist again. 

“I’m sure we’ll manage just fine without your money, Tony,” Thor said, and Stark let out a disappointed sigh as he put his wallet away again. 

“Fine. But seriously, has anyone seen my watch?” 

“I think I saw someone running away with it.” Another voice joined the group, and all of them watched as Bucky - still dressed in his costume - came over to join them. Loki half expected him to attack someone, but he simply stopped next to Steve and didn't do a thing to hurt him. The only thing he did was to give his arm a quick pat.

“Barnes. I should have known,” Stark said, and held his hand out. “Give it back to me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why would I steal your watch? I’ve been helping you, haven’t I?”

Stark let out a huff, and gave him a long, suspicious look. “Yeah, right. Why don’t you say hello to Loki here?”

Bucky turned his head, and Loki could see the confusion in his eyes. “Hi.” Clearly, he hadn’t heard much about him. Loki wondered if he even knew that Thor and he were together. Well, if he hadn’t known before, the arm that was still wrapped firmly around his waist should have given him a bit of a clue. Loki didn’t even mind the arm as much as he felt he should have. Thor was staking his claim, while at the same time offering him some support and possibly even protecting him. As long as Loki was allowed to do the same, he was okay with it. 

“Come on, big guy,” Stark said, and patted Bruce’s stomach. “I think it’s time we go find that watch. I need your help when I try to intimidate every person in this place.” Stark turned his eyes back to Loki. “It was good to meet you. I hope I’ll see you again soon.”

Loki didn’t return the sentiment. Instead, he watched as Stark and Bruce left, Stark hurrying over to the first person he could find to ask them about his watch. Once they were out of sight, he turned back to the others.

“I don’t think he’ll be able to find it,” Bucky said, and held up a golden watch, a grin plastered on his face. It was such a strange look on him, especially after the moment Loki had just witnessed out there. 

“Bucky,” Steve chided, drawing out each syllable. Loki was surprised to see him grinning as well.

“Don’t 'Bucky' me," Bucky said, and the grin quickly disappared from his face. "The only reason I took this stupid watch is because you brought it up. I figured, better me than you.” 

“So he’s going to suspect all of us until he gets it back,” Thor pointed out. “Good thinking.”

“What’s the worst he could do?” Bucky shrugged, and glared at Steve when he took the watch from him.

“I think I know how to handle this,” Steve said, an awfully mischiveous smile on his face as he turned around and began to walk away from them. 

“Steve?” Bucky frowned as he turned around. “Where are you going? Rogers, get your ass back here right now!” He muttered something under his breath before following him, and Natasha threw a look over her shoulder.

“I do love to watch you walk away, boys," she called out, and the two of them waved at her before they disappeared to do... Loki had no idea. But he was admittedly a little curious. Natasha shook her head before turning back to Thor and Loki. “So, what are you going to do now?” 

“I don’t know,” Thor replied, and shrugged his shoulders, finally letting his arm drop from Loki’s waist, probably figuring he didn’t need it there anymore. “I think I’ll show Loki around, and then… We’re going back to your place, right?” he asked, and Loki gave him a nod.

“If you want,” he said. If they had the chance to spend the night together, they obviously needed to take advantage of it. Besides, he figured that perhaps Thor owed him one more birthday present. They said goodbye to Natasha, and she told them to have fun before they left her. They continued to walk through the hallways, but had only been doing so for a couple of minutes when someone called out Thor’s name. They both turned their heads, and Loki could feel his chest tightening when he realized who it was. Sif. She was wearing a simple outfit - jeans and a t-shirt, and she somehow still managed to look gorgeous.

“Thor, I need to talk to you.” She stopped in front of them, and gave Loki a confused look before turning her eyes to Thor. 

“Sif, this is Loki,” Thor said. “Loki, this is Sif, one of my dear friends.” But he hadn’t said anything about what he was. Why? Did she already know, or did he not want to give that away? Suddenly Loki longed for that arm around his waist, but Thor made no move to touch him. 

“Good to meet you,” Sif said, and gave him a quick nod before turning back to Thor, who seemed to hesitate for a moment.

“I’ll be right back,” he told Loki, and then he actually had the nerve to leave him. Loki was left standing there, on his own, while Thor followed Sif a couple of feet away from there to talk about something in hushed voices. How dare he? He was the one who brought him there, and then he left him alone to go talk to one of his ex girlfriends? Loki was practically seething as he watched the two of them together. In fact, he was wondering if perhaps his face had turned green. By the time Thor finally came back, he had his teeth clenched tightly together, and he didn’t say anything as he approached him. Thor seemed to notice, and he tilted his head to the side as he studied him.

“What?” 

“Nothing,” Loki hissed, and turned his eyes away. 

Thor must have realized what was going on without him having to say it, because he spoke up again a moment later.

“Loki, we were just talking about wrestling. She’s just a friend, nothing more.” Suddenly Thor’s hand was on his chin, and Loki was forced to tilt his head back up. “She already knows about you. She knows you’re my boyfriend.” 

Loki huffed, but Thor simply smiled at him. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, believe me.” He leaned in, and this time he did press their lips together. Loki kept his eyes open for a moment longer, and he spotted Sif watching them from a distance. Unable to help himself, he wrapped his arms around Thor’s neck and let out a soft moan into the kiss as he pulled him closer. Thor wasn’t the only one who could stake his claim. Two could play at that game. 

When they pulled back again, Sif seemed to have vanished, and Loki could concentrate on nothing but Thor, who looked incredibly pleased as he wrapped his arms around his waist.

“So,” Thor said, and gave him a smile. “How about we go back to your place?”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go. Last chapter of 2015. First of all, I'd like to mention that I wrote a little thing that takes place in this universe. It's based on the deleted cape scene from The Dark World. Loki is left alone in Thor's locker room and... things happen. I'll probably post it here on AO3 at some point, but for now you can find it on [my tumblr.](http://guardianinthesky.tumblr.com/post/135995494106/this-is-my-christmas-present-for-the-amazing)
> 
> Second of all, I'd like to just take a moment to thank all of you. Everyone who's pressed that kudos button, who's left a comment, who's read this story (and hopefully enjoyed it). I am so, so grateful, and overwhelmed by the response I've gotten. When I first started this fic, I didn't think it would be this long, or that so many people would be interested in it. When I told my brother it was getting close to 1000 kudos, he gave me a surprised look and wondered why so many people would be into wrestling. I guess that's just the power of thorki. XD And I suppose I'm also hoping that the story itself is interesting enough that the ones of you who don't give a damn about wrestling will want to read it. But I think that's enough from me. What I really just want to say is thank you so much for turning this fic into so much more than I thought it could be. We still have a couple of chapters left to go, though. It's not over yet.
> 
> Happy New Year! <3

As soon as they got back to his place, the two of them were all over each other. After seeing Thor wrestle, and having to watch him talk to one of his exes, Loki was more than eager to pull him into his bedroom. And Thor seemed more than willing to follow. They fumbled with their clothes as they made their way through his apartment, and by the time they entered his bedroom they were already half naked. Thor pushed him down on the bed and removed his pants before joining him, and Loki smirked into the kiss when he felt Thor’s already hard cock against his thigh. 

“This is your birthday present,” Thor murmured against his lips. “Tell me what you want.” 

Instead of responding, Loki pushed Thor away and straddled him before he had time to react. He gave himself a moment to simply enjoy the view, all that muscle on display, while removing Thor’s boxers. He made sure to get the brand new bottle of lube from the nightstand and put that down next to him on the bed. Thor watched him with a curious look on his face, and Loki had a feeling he would have been up for just about anything at this point. If he’d gotten a pair of handcuffs from somewhere, Thor probably would have let him cuff him to the bed, and that was an intriguing idea he definitely had to make sure to remember. 

Since he didn’t want to cuff him to the bed right now, he simply hoped that Thor would stay where he was as Loki pulled off his own underwear. He reached for the lube, and kept his eyes on Thor as he coated one of his fingers and moved it between his legs. At once, Thor’s eyes turned several shades darker, but he didn’t move, probably realizing that he wasn’t supposed to. 

Loki let out a muffled whine when he pressed the finger inside, past the first knuckle, and he bit down on his bottom lip while rocking back against it. When he added a second one, Thor reached down to tug at his cock, but Loki stopped him by wrapping his free hand around his wrist. He didn’t even need to say anything. He simply gave Thor a look, and when he released him Thor drew his hand back, letting it rest on his own chest. 

The corner of Loki’s lips tugged into a smirk, and he worked a third finger inside with little hesitation, letting out a loud moan when he brushed against just the right spot. He was sure Thor thought he was evil, but he didn’t care. He put on quite a show for him in the next couple of minutes, thrusting his fingers inside and moaning shamelessly as he threw his head back. His cock was leaking pre-come, and once Loki felt like he was about to push himself over the edge any second now, he finally pulled the fingers back out again. 

“You want me to ride you, don’t you?” he said, and wrapped the fingers he had used to prepared himself around Thor’s cock, licking his lips and tugging on his foreskin. “You want to feel my tight ass clenching around your cock. I will give it to you…” He gave a deliberate pause, and Thor let out a groan when he stroked him.

“Loki, please,” he begged, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and Loki could practically feel his body vibrating with the need to thrust into his closed fist. 

“First, I need you to do something for me, Thor.”

“Anything,” Thor promised at once, the word slipping past his lips so easily that Loki almost wanted to tease him for it. He gave Thor another firm stroke, waiting a moment before he continued.

“I need you to tell me who you belong to,” he finally said, lowering his voice as he let his hand rest around the base of Thor’s cock. He met Thor’s eyes, and tried to ignore how fast his heart was beating. “I need you to tell me that-”

“I’m yours,” Thor said before he could even finish the sentence. “I’m yours, Loki. All yours.” Loki’s face fell, and he wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed at Thor for not realizing that this was something he’d wanted to drag out a while longer, or relieved that Thor didn’t seem to hesitate in the slightest. He settled for something in between, and shot Thor a bit of a glare before reaching for the bottle. Perhaps he needed a reward for obeying so quickly? Once Thor’s cock was slick with lube, he moved forward and raised himself up, locking their eyes together as he rubbed his ass against the tip. He slid down slowly,  savoring as his body adjusted to the size. The stretch was just shy of painful, burning and hot, and Loki needed a moment before he could start moving.  Thor had his hands by his sides, and Loki took a couple of deep breaths, wondering if he would ever be able to get used to his girth. 

“You’re allowed to touch me, you know,” he pointed out, and Thor smiled as he moved his hands to his hips, doing his best to help him when he pushed himself up again. Loki q uickly found a pace he was comfortable with , but it didn’t take long before he was bouncing enthusiastically on Thor’s cock. Thor snapped his hips up to meet his, and Loki adjusted his own angle to make sure every thrust felt even better. Even without touching his cock, Loki could feel himself getting closer and closer to his release, and his hips began to stutter as he tried to get Thor’s cock to brush against the same spot again and again. 

“Are you close?” Thor asked, and Loki barely had time to nod before he’d used his grip on his hips to turn them both over. Loki yelped when he suddenly found himself on his back, his breath coming out in short puffs. He glared up at Thor when he realized he’d pulled his cock out of him.. 

“I think it’s my turn now,” Thor said, and Loki felt his face heating up as soon as he realized what Thor was getting at. He was about to protest, but Thor leaned down and pressed their lips together, giving him a kiss that left him - if possible - even more breathless than he’d been a couple of seconds ago. “Who do you belong to, Loki?” Thor pulled back, and locked their eyes together, just like Loki had. “Tell me.” 

Loki let out a frustrated growl. He felt empty, and exposed, and all he wanted was for Thor to keep fucking him, but he knew there was only one way to make that happen. He was trapped. 

“You,” he snapped, and moved his hands to push at Thor’s chest. “Damn you, just fuck me.” Thankfully, Thor seemed to think his response was good enough, and Loki let out a long groan when he pushed back inside of him in one smooth motion. He quickly wrapped his legs around waist, and was rewarded with a particularly hard thrust. As his own form of revenge, he moved a hand to Thor’s long hair and pulled,  _ hard _ , but all he managed to get out of Thor was a pleased moan. For a long moment, the sound of their bodies slapping together, and their short, ragged breathing, were the only things interrupting the silence of the room. Loki twisted his hips up to make sure Thor would hit the right spot, and his jaw dropped open in pleasure when it happened. 

“Thor,” he moaned, his hands trembling as he slid them from Thor’s hair to his shoulders. “Thor, I’m- I’m going to…”

“Do it,” Thor breathed against his lips. “Come with me, Loki.”

And Loki did. 

When they woke up the next morning, neither of them seemed to want to leave the bed. Thor could only stay for a couple of hours since he had a Raw to get to later that night, but for now… For now, it was just the two of them, and Loki was actually very happy about that. It was nice to think that he didn’t have to share Thor with the world, if only for an hour or so.

“I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas,” Thor said as they lay there, and rolled onto his stomach, smiling down at Loki. “We’ve just got the Slammy Awards left, and then it’ll be a new year.”

Loki raised a brow. “The Slammy Awards? What’s that?”

“You’ve never heard of the Slammys?” Thor asked, and Loki rolled his eyes when he gave him a shocked look. “I can’t believe this. The Slammys is the most prestigious awards show we have in the wrestling world. It’s really, really fancy. I mean, we have categories like... Hashtag of the Year and LOL Moment of the Year. Tell me, how does that not make you excited?”

Loki gave him a long look, studying Thor’s face as he tried to figure out whether he was joking or not. LOL moment of the year? He had to be kidding, right? That could not be an actual thing. Then again, they were talking about professional wrestling. They were talking about something that was already incredibly silly. If they were to have an awards show, why wouldn’t they include those categories? 

“How do they pick the winners?” Loki asked, deciding not to make fun of the categories right now. He could do that later, when it was time for the actual show to air. He was sure there would be quite a few laughs. 

“The fans get to vote,” Thor told him, and smiled as he brushed his fingers against Loki’s arm. “So you should start voting for me right now. I don’t remember all of the nominees, but anyone can be named superstar of the year. Not that I actually deserve it.”

“You don’t?” Loki pushed himself up a bit, and gave him a confused look. “Why wouldn’t you deserve it?” Thor was the best one there. Loki might have been slightly biased, but he wasn’t sure who else could possibly deserve that award.

“Because I was gone,” Thor said. “I was gone for a couple of months, I missed Wrestlemania, I haven’t been winning a lot of important matches, I don’t have a championship… If anyone should get it, it’s Cap. He’s been there all along, he’s had the US Title all year, he’s defended it more than once, he’s… really been at the top. If anyone deserves to get it, it’s him. This has been his year.” 

Loki muttered something under his breath and dug his face into the pillow underneath him, putting his arms over his head to keep Thor’s voice out. He didn’t want to hear about Cap getting that award. Then again, he was certainly a better option than someone like the Hulk. 

“It’s fine,” Thor said, and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. “Maybe I’ll win something else? I feel like my… smashing Stark’s car moment might get me an award. So you’ll get to cheer for me at least one time.”

Loki stayed where he was, refusing to look at Thor, who seemed to be laughing at him. He felt Thor’s lips against his shoulder, his arm, and then his back, but he kept his face pressed against the pillow. 

“And then it’s a new year. And it’ll be time for Royal Rumble,” Thor said that last part slowly, as if he was trying to make it sound even more exciting, and Loki reluctantly lifted his head to look at him.

“What’s that?” he asked. 

“You don’t know what the Royal Rumble is? Oh, come on, Loki. You must have heard about it before. Other than Wrestlemania, it’s probably… Okay, we also have Summerslam, but after those two, it’s probably our most famous pay-per-view. Or it should be. It’s one of my personal favorites.”

“Yes, yes, but what happens?” Loki asked, not bothering to hide his impatience. 

“Well, it’s a rumble. Thirty wrestlers compete. They come out one by one. You eliminate someone by throwing them off the top rope. Whoever’s the last one in the ring wins.”

Loki nodded his head. It sounded simple enough. “And why is it your favorite?”

“Because you get to meet so many wrestlers. There’s usually a return or two. And because there’s so much at stake. If you do win, you don’t just get the pride and glory, you get a shot at the WWE Championship.”

“What do you mean?” Loki asked, and decided that it was time for him to sit up. Thor smiled as he rolled around again so that he was on his back. 

“I mean that whoever wins the Royal Rumble gets to fight the WWE Champion at Wrestlemania. And that’s something we all want. Not only do you get a match at Wrestlemania, you get a shot at the title. That’s huge. Actually, that’s pretty much as big as it’s gonna get.”

“Who’s going to win?” Loki asked, and Thor chuckled at him.

“You think I’d tell you that?” 

“I think I could make you talk,” Loki insisted, and moved forward, smirking as he straddled Thor’s hips. “Tell me, Thor.” He put his hands on his chest, and he could see Thor swallowing when he moved them down to his stomach. “Tell me who’s going to win. Is it you?”

“I don’t know,” Thor said. “Honestly, Loki, I have no idea who’s going to win. They haven’t told us yet. I know you think all of these things are planned several months in advance, but they’re not. Well, they usually know what’s going on at the pay-per-views, but Raw and Smackdown? Sometimes we don’t even know if we’re going to be on the show until a couple of hours before it starts.”

Well. That was disappointing. Loki pouted and let out a long sigh before he removed himself from Thor, pulling himself away from his lap and lying down next to him. Thor immediately sported a pout of his own, and quickly moved closer to him, pushing himself up so that he could trap him against the mattress.

“That doesn’t mean you have to pull away from me,” he pointed out. “Maybe I could think of something else to tell you.”

“Like what?” 

“Like… How beautiful you are,” Thor said, and leaned down to press his lips against his neck. Loki tilted his head back to give him more room, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. “And how amazing you are.” Thor pressed a kiss to the other side of his neck. “And how talented you are.”

Lok hummed, and waited for Thor to pull back so that he could drag him down for a kiss. “Keep going,” he whispered against his lips. 

Unfortunately, Thor couldn’t stay much longer. He had time for a quick breakfast, and then it was time for him to leave. Loki was a little sad to see him go, mostly because they hadn’t spent that much time together, but he was hoping they would see each other soon. Then again, it was already the middle of December. Most likely, it would be a new year the next time they saw each other. 

When Thor called him later that night, once Raw was over, he pointed out that they hadn’t even talked about what they would be doing for Christmas and New Year’s, and he wanted to know if Loki had any plans. 

“Amora is spending Christmas with her fiance,” Loki told him. “So I’ll probably spend it with my brothers and their families.” He wasn’t particularly looking forward to it, but it was better than nothing. He knew he would feel like the odd one out when his brothers would have their wives and children there with them, but what was the alternative? Sitting at home? He figured he could do that for New Year’s. 

“What about you?” he asked. “Are you spending Christmas with your family?”

“I am, yeah,” Thor confirmed. “Should be… nice and awkward. Just like Christmas should be.” He didn’t seem all that broken up about it, though. In fact, he sounded like he wanted to laugh, and Loki supposed it was a good thing that he could have a sense of humor about it. “And for New Year’s Eve I’m heading back to L.A. with my friends. I’m a lot more excited about that. We haven’t had a party in a while.”

“Sounds like fun,” Loki said, even though he didn’t really mean it. In fact, it kind of stung a little bit to realize that they would be spending both Christmas and New Year’s apart, and Thor didn’t even seem to care. Weren’t they a couple now? Weren’t couples supposed to see each other at some point during the holidays? Well, if Thor didn’t care, then neither would he. He would make do without him.

Just like Thor had told him, the Slammys took place the following week. Loki had been online as often as he could in the days leading up to it, and he may have voted for Thor a couple of times. He’d also made sure to write angry responses to some people who’d insisted that Thor was overrated and that he didn’t deserve to win Superstar of the Year. That was bullshit. These people had no idea what they were talking about. Loki didn’t care what Thor said - he deserved that fucking award. When the Slammys finally happened, he was a bit confused when it seemed to be a mix between an awards show and a normal Raw. The wrestlers came out on stage dressed up in suits or dresses, but then they were back in the ring wearing their normal gear a commercial break later. He didn’t like the show all that much either. The matches seemed like they’d been thrown together in a couple of seconds, and Thor wasn’t winning any awards. He didn’t get Match of the Year, he didn’t get This is Awesome Moment of the Year - even though he had been nominated for wrecking Stark’s car. Hulk and he didn’t even get Rivalry of the Year, but Loki was pretty damn sure they should have won that one. 

Finally, at the end of the show, it was time for them to announce who had won Superstar of the Year. Loki was already sick of the whole thing at that point, and honestly considered changing the channel. Every single win was bullshit. Black Widow hadn’t even gotten the Diva of the Year award, even though she obviously should have. See? He was even pissed about that. He crossed his arms over his chest as soon as none other than Tony Stark came out to announce the winner, and he shook his head as he watched him make some lame jokes. This didn’t mean Hulk was going to be the winner, did it? They told the fans to vote while they cut to another commercial break, and Loki turned his eyes down to his phone. He had downloaded the WWE app just for this occasion, and he hurriedly pressed the button to vote for Thor. Come on. He had to win. 

As soon as it came back on, Loki leaned forward, watching as Stark opened the envelope and got a disgusted look on his face when he read who the winner was. Did that mean-- Nope. Cap. Captain fucking America. Loki actually threw the remote across the room, and was even more bothered by it when he realized the expression on his face probably mirrored Stark’s perfectly. Stark started telling the audience that his client was the true winner of the award, and of course Cap came out while he was talking. Loki quickly hurried across the room and turned it off while the two of them proceeded to argue on stage. He wasn’t interested in seeing that. Instead, he grabbed his phone and headed over to twitter, blocking every single person who wrote that Cap had deserved his award. He almost blocked Thor as well when he tweeted something similar, but then he changed his mind and wrote him an angry text instead. 

Luckily, he didn’t have much time to think about those stupid Slammy Awards. Work was keeping him busy, which he was actually grateful for because there were several things he didn’t want to think about. Like those awards. And having to spend Christmas with his brothers. He didn’t dislike his brothers. That wasn’t it. He just wasn’t looking forward to having to watch them with their wives and kids while he was… on his own. He tried to imagine what it would have been like to introduce them to Thor. His brothers definitely didn’t watch wrestling. He hadn’t even told them about Thor. He’d seen no reason to. But if they’d met… He felt like his brothers would have been fairly impressed. Until they found out what Thor did for a living, that is. They probably would have told Loki not to waste his time dating someone who was beneath him. It seemed strange, almost, to realize that they would probably encourage him to dump Thor. He would be dumping the wrestling star. The golden boy. One of the hottest men he had ever seen. Wouldn’t it have made more sense for Thor to dump him? 

These thoughts were far too depressing, and he did his best to move on from them. They were really busy at work, and then there was a stilted Christmas party Loki only spent about an hour at before he decided he would much rather go home. At last, he finally had a couple of days off. Unfortunately, he would be spending two of those days at his Helblindi’s house. Both of his brothers had moved to D.C. which meant he would have to get on a plane, have Christmas with them, and then get back on a plane again. Wonderful. He was forced to call Amora and ask her to help him with his Christmas shopping. He had no idea what to get for children. They went shopping together, and she ended up telling him to get some teddy bears and some flashy, musical toys that seemed far too complicated for such young children. Still, he trusted her judgement. 

He ended up packing on the day before Christmas Eve. Just as he was putting all of the presents into his suitcase, there was someone at the door. Who could it be this time? He was pretty sure Amora had already gone with her fiance to his parents’ house, and Thor was on the other side of the country. He walked over to the door and opened it, surprised to find a delivery guy standing out there. He was handed a package, and Loki frowned as he brought it into the kitchen. There was no note on it or anything, and Loki decided that he was allowed to find out what was inside. He opened it with eager fingers, and pulled out something else. It was a present, wrapped in silly looking paper with snowmen on it. This time, there was a note. ‘Merry Christmas. We’ll see each other soon.’ It was from Thor. He’d sent him a present? Loki hadn’t gotten him anything. He had assumed that since they wouldn’t be spending the holidays together… He immediately reached for his phone and sent Thor a text to ask him what this was all about, and Thor told him he couldn’t open it until Christmas. Oaf. 

Since he wasn’t going to be home for Christmas, Loki made room for it in his suitcase. Once everything was packed, he had dinner in front of the television while watching Real Housewives of… someplace. Somewhere in L.A. He wasn’t really sure, but he enjoyed the drama. Sue him. 

He went  to bed early that night, since he had to get up relatively early the next day to get ready for his flight. He wasn’t particularly looking forward to it. He knew there was bound to be a lot of people in the airport. At least it wouldn’t be a very long flight. That was a small comfort. 

Once he’d wrapped his favorite green scarf around his neck, he grabbed his bags and got into the cab that was waiting to take him to the airport. Just as he had guessed, the airport was packed, and Loki had to tell himself more than once that he couldn’t just turn back and head home. He was going to see his brothers, and he knew they would be mad if he changed his mind at the very last minute. 

At least the flight was a short one. It felt like they’d barely gotten up in the air when it was time to land, and he was very happy about that since he’d been put next to a couple who seemed like they just couldn’t keep their hands away from each other. There was kissing, and touching, and Loki tried his best not to look at them, moving as close to the window as possible. So rude. And it did not make him think about Thor. Not even for half a second. 

There didn’t seem to be any snow  in D.C. either, but Loki wasn’t complaining about that. At least it wasn’t too cold outside. He was picked up by a car his brothers had sent for him, and Loki let out a sigh as soon as he’d climbed inside it. The ride to Helblindi’s house was a relatively long one, and he had time to send Thor a text to let him know he had landed. He got a response a while later, letting him know he was already at his parents’ house. Another couple of minutes after that, he got a picture of a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, along with the words ‘God jul!’ Loki quickly turned to Google Translate, and wasn’t surprised when it showed him Thor had just written Merry Christmas in Swedish. He shook his head. 

‘Merry Christmas to you too. Oaf.’ He sent the text and put the phone away before looking out the window. The sky was grey, which really didn’t make him feel any of that Christmas spirit he was probably supposed to be feeling. That changed quickly, though, when he finally arrived at Helblindi’s house. As soon as he walked inside, he spotted a Christmas tree, and he could smell that something was baking in the oven. Probably some kind of cookies. He was immediately greeted by his brothers and their wives, and Loki managed to get through it all without a single sarcastic word. His brothers must have been so proud of him. Of course, his brothers also had their children with them, and Loki walked into the living room to greet them as well. They were too young to really recognize him, though. Helblindi had a son and a daughter - both under the age of two, and Byleist had a son who wasn’t even one yet. Loki had only seen him once. 

He was asked about work, and he gave them a short, simple answer before turning their attention back to the children. To his surprise, he managed to avoid the inevitable question, the one he knew was coming, until they all sat down to have dinner later that night. Byleist turned to him and asked if he was seeing anyone special, and Loki let his eyes fall to the glass of wine in his hand.

“No,” he found himself saying. “No one special.” He could practically see the look Thor would have had on his face if he’d been around to hear that. He would have been hurt. He would have wondered why he didn’t want to talk about him. It had nothing to do with Thor, though. Okay, maybe it did. A little bit. He didn’t want his brothers to tease him, or question him any further. He also knew that if he told them about Thor, he would have to tell them what he did for a living, and if they found out he was dating a wrestler, they were bound to tease him even more. Loki could handle the teasing, but he simply didn’t want to deal with it. If he could avoid it, he would. As far as he was concerned, his brothers had nothing to do with his love life. 

Later that night, when his niece and nephews had gone to sleep and Loki was trying his best to ignore his brothers and their wives, he got another picture from Thor. This time, it was of Christmas gifts, and he’d written ‘Time to open some presents’. Loki frowned.

‘You’re a bit early,’ he pointed out, and got a response just a couple of seconds later.

‘It’s Christmas Eve. We celebrate today.’ Ah. Of course. Loki assumed that had something to do with where his parents came from. He wondered how many of those traditions they had kept up with, and if Thor - if they ever did get to celebrate Christmas together - would introduce him to some Scandinavian traditions. He wasn’t sure what they did over there, other than opening their presents a little earlier. 

‘Does that mean I get to open my present now?’ He was pretty sure it was still in his suitcase.

‘No. You have to wait.’

Damn. Well, he had given it a try. Though, really, there was nothing stopping him from opening that present now. Thor wouldn’t know. Still, he was able to keep his hands away from it, even when he said goodnight and headed into the guestroom where he would be sleeping. He did throw a glance at his suitcase, but decided to do as he had been told. He would open it in the morning, in private, when his brothers weren’t around to see it. 

He was woken up the next morning by loud cries coming from the other room, and Loki groaned into his pillow, wishing it would stop. When it didn’t, he checked his watch, and sighed when he saw that it was almost eight. It could have been a lot worse. Since he didn’t think they were going to open the presents just yet, he walked over to his suitcase and rummaged through it, furrowing his brow when he couldn’t find it. Where was his present? Wait, had they taken that too? He’d told Byleist to put his presents under the tree. He must have taken the one from Thor as well. Damn. Well, fine. He would just have to open it later. It was probably safe to open it around other people, or else Thor would have told him to be careful. Or so he hoped. 

He left the guestroom half an hour later and joined the others, who seemed like they had been waiting for him. Byleist told him that the kids were eager to open their presents. Loki wasn’t sure how eager they could actually be when they were that young. If anything, he had a feeling that the kids’ fathers were probably more eager to open their presents, and he even told them as much. 

Of course, they all focused on the kids that morning, and Loki actually smiled as he watched them open his presents. He was assured that they would love them, and Loki told himself that he needed to send Amora a text to thank her for the suggestion. Loki also got presents - two books from his brothers, which he opened in between taking sips of his tea. He thanked them both before realizing that Thor’s present was probably still under the tree. He was just wondering if perhaps he would be able to sneak it out of there when Helblindi picked it up. 

“This is for you, right?” he said, and walked over to give it to him. “Who’s it from? It doesn’t say.”

“No one,” Loki snapped, and quickly pulled it out of his brother’s grasp. 

“I thought you said you weren’t seeing anyone special?” Helblindi pointed out, and Loki shot him a glare. One of the kids made a noise of protest when he couldn’t get past the plastic to pull out the new toy he’d gotten, and Loki waited for everyone to look away before he decided to open Thor’s gift. He began to tear at the paper, and furrowed his brow when he saw Thor’s face. Had he actually gotten him a picture of himself? Oh. Yes, he had, and when Loki removed the rest of the paper, he quickly realized that it was not just any picture. It was a big picture of Thor, yes. And he was shirtless. Or possibly naked. The picture only showed him from the waist up. It was a white background, with a tanned Thor posing in front of it. His hair was pulled back, and it was wet, which made him look like he’d just been wrestling. Except that he was shirtless. Loki stared at it, shaking his head when he realized there was something written on it. ‘Merry Christmas Loki. I thought you’d appreciate this.’ And then he’d even fucking signed it. What a…

“What’s that?” 

Loki quickly turned the picture upside down and met Helblindi’s curious eyes. 

“Nothing,” he said, and hoped that he wasn’t blushing too badly. Of course, his brothers were far from stupid, and both of them turned away from their kids to focus on him instead. 

“What is it?” Byleist asked, who had been sitting on the other side of the room. He quickly pushed himself up and made his way over to them. “What is it you don't want to show us?”

“It’s nothing,” Loki hissed, and made sure to put both of his arms over the picture to keep his brothers from stealing it. “It’s just a stupid Christmas present. Why do you care?”

“Because I want to know what this person who wants to see my brother again got him for Christmas. It’s obviously something embarrassing. Still, you can show us, can’t you? It can’t be that bad.”

Loki wondered if he would have time to run into the guestroom with the picture, throw it in his suitcase, and get out of the house before his brothers had time to stop him. It would be a close call, but he figured he could make it.  

“I’m not going to let you see it,” Loki insisted, and Byleist and Helblindi shared a look. 

“Fine,” Byleist said, and Loki eyed him suspiciously when he shrugged his shoulders. “We won’t look. I just think it’s a shame that-” Before he could finish, Helblindi had reached over and grabbed Loki’s arms, pulling them away from the picture on his lap.

“Get it!” Byleist moved forward as well, and together the two of them managed to get it away from Loki, who was doing everything he could to fight back. He even considered biting Helblindi’s hand, but managed to restrain himself somewhat. Everyone else had left the room, and Loki assumed it was so that the children wouldn’t copy their fathers’ embarrassing behavior. He managed to push Helblindi away from him, but didn’t have time to do anything before Byleist had taken a look at the picture. He watched as his eyebrows shot up, and he stared at the image, flabbergasted, before ue turned it around to show Helblindi, whose jaw dropped to the floor. They both stared at it, and Loki pressed his lips together, trying to ignore the fact that the red color on his cheeks had probably spread all the way down to his neck by now. Bastards. 

“Wow,” Byleist muttered. “I mean… Why… How… Who…” Clearly, he had no idea how to finish that sentence, and Loki stomped forward and snatched the picture away from him. 

“Loki, who is that?” Helblindi asked, and Loki shook his head. 

“Like I said, he’s no one,” he said, and glared at them both before turning around and heading back to his guestroom. 

“But I feel like I recognize him,” Byleist added loudly, and Loki slammed the door behind himself. He sat down on the bed and reached for his phone, gritting his teeth together as he wrote a text for Thor.

‘I’m going to kill you.’ 

Unfortunately, he had to get back out there at some point, and he took a quick look at himself in the mirror to make sure he was no longer blushing before he left the room. When his brothers noticed him, they couldn’t help but grin, and Loki stopped walking when he realized that they were looking at something on Helblindi’s phone. 

“So,” Helblindi began, and Loki shook his head again, as if that would actually make them stop. 

“A professional wrestler? Really, Loki?” Byleist gave him an unimpressed look. “Since when are you into wrestling?”

Loki didn’t answer. Instead, he went over to sit down on the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. He refused to answer them. 

“So who is this from? Is this from someone who knows that you like this Thor person, or… It’s not actually from him, is it?”

Again, Loki didn’t answer. He kept his lips pressed tightly together and his eyes away from them. 

“Don’t you think a wrestler is a little… beneath you?” Helblindi asked. Ah, there it was. He had been waiting for this.  “It’s a ridiculous… It’s not even a real sport.”

“Exactly,” Byleist agreed. “Gorgeous or not, he’s not really your type, is he?”

“Gorgeous?” Helblindi sounded surprised. “You think he’s gorgeous?”

“It was the first word that popped into my head, okay? I mean, look at him. He’s not a bad looking guy. I can see why girls would be into him. And… guys, apparently.”

“I guess,” Helblindi agreed, and Loki slowly turned around to look at them both, raising his eyebrows. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening. His brothers were debating whether or not Thor was good looking. Maybe he was dreaming? Yes, Loki was almost positive that he had ended up in some sort of nightmare. 

His brothers continued to talk about Thor for another couple of minutes, without actually acknowledging that he was in the room with them, and Loki couldn’t decide whether that was better or worse than actually being part of the conversation. They had to stop when it was time for lunch, and Loki did his best to ignore the awkward tension that seemed to have spread through the house. At least the food was good, but he couldn’t wait to get out of there. Once lunch was over, he only stayed for one more hour before he announced that it was time for him to get to the airport. He still had about four hours left before his plane was supposed to take off, but they didn’t need to know that. Helblindi told him to take it easy with that wrestler, and Byleist told him to have fun, but not too much fun. They did seem the slightest bit remorseful, but not enough to make Loki want to stay. Instead, he left the house with his suitcase and took a cab back to the airport. It was still packed with people, but Loki managed to find somewhere to sit as he waited for the hours to pass. Thor called him thirty minutes before it was time to board, and Loki actually considered not answering. But he did. 

“I am seriously going to kill you,” he hissed at him. 

“I couldn’t help it,” Thor said, and had the nerve to actually laugh. “I thought you could use something to look at when I’m not around. You should know I don’t hand out shirtless pictures of myself to just anyone. Did you not like it? I could take it back.”

“No,” Loki said. “No, you can’t take it back. And for your information, I opened that stupid picture in front of my brothers. Do you have any idea how much they teased me about it?”

“Sorry,” Thor said, and this time he actually did sound like he was at least a little bit sorry. “I guess I should have warned you not to open it in front of other people. I honestly didn’t think you would.”

Loki let out a long sigh. “Well, it’s over now. I’m on my way home. With the picture. They found out who you are. I think they might have googled you.”

“Yeah?” Thor sounded amused. “And what did they think?” 

Loki opened his mouth, but then he realized that he didn’t want Thor to know that his brothers had said that he was beneath him. That sounded too harsh, and he wanted to spare Thor from that particular comment. If anyone was allowed to say mean things to Thor, it was him. His brothers could just butt out, as far as he was concerned.

“They said that wrestling is ridiculous.”

“Well, they’re not wrong,” Thor pointed out, and let out another laugh. “I think most fans would agree that it can be ridiculous at times. But if you want to prove your brothers wrong, we can always invite them to a show.”

“No, thank you,” Loki muttered. Over his dead body. He was not going to bring his brothers to a wrestling show. He wasn’t stupid. If anything, bringing them there would only cement the fact that wrestling was ridiculous and that he deserved better. Not that he cared what they thought. 

Soon enough, it was time to board, and Loki said goodbye to Thor and wished him a merry Christmas. Once again, it was a short flight, and he didn’t have a horny couple sitting next to him this time, which made the trip into a much more pleasant one. He got back home and let out a tired sigh, deciding that he could unpack later, before wondering what he should do with the picture. In the end, he hid it inside his closet. He knew Amora was the only one to enter his apartment - other than Thor - but that didn’t mean he wanted to put that up on one of his walls. Why share it? 

Soon enough, it was time for New Year’s. Amora called to let him know that he was more than welcome to join her and her fiance, but they were heading out to some party and Loki didn’t feel like joining them.

“It’s fine,” he told her. “I’ll just stay in with my Chinese food.”

Thor called him too, and asked him what he would be doing. Loki hesitated for a moment before he told him the truth, and Thor sounded like he felt bad for him, as if Loki would be upset that he had to sit at home by himself on New Year’s. Well, he said the same thing to him. He was fine. He was actually looking forward to spending the evening on his couch, perhaps with a movie, and some Chinese. He didn’t need anything else. Thor wished him a happy new year, and told him that he was flying out to L.A. soon to meet up with his friends. Loki told him to have fun, and the two of them hung up. 

Since it was such a special night, Loki decided to dress up. He wore a pair of sweatpants and one of his favorite t-shirts. He wasn’t going anywhere. When it got late, he ordered his food, and flipped through the channels as he tried to find something to watch. He stopped when he found When Harry Met Sally, and he slowly put down his remote, shrugging his shoulders as he realized he might as well see it again. There didn’t seem to be much else to watch, unless he wanted to put on some wrestling. Maybe some old matches? He snorted at the thought. 

As soon as his food arrived he made himself comfortable on the couch, watching the movie as he stuffed himself with chicken, fried rice, and the occasional spring roll. Every now and then, he threw a glance at his watch to keep track of the amount of time left. By the time the movie was over, he still had an hour to go before midnight. Well. He looked around the empty living room. He didn’t have anyone to kiss. It was a silly tradition, but he did wonder if he should just go to bed, since no one would miss him anyway. 

In the end, he stayed up, and watched on his TV as they counted down the seconds to midnight. 

“Happy New Year,” he said quietly and raised his glass, drinking the last of his champagne before reaching for his phone, ignoring the fireworks. He wondered if Thor was in L.A. now. Had the party already started? Was he going to kiss anyone at midnight? Would any of his exes be there? He realized he couldn’t actually call Thor and ask, so he put his phone away again, and went back to flipping through the channels. 

The minutes passed, but he didn’t find anything to watch. All of it seemed so happy, and he wasn’t in the mood for happy. He was just thinking about going to bed when the doorbell rang, and Loki frowned, glancing down at his watch. It was almost one. Who could be at the door at this hour? Was it Amora? Had she gotten drunk and decided to stop by for a visit? Or was it… No. It couldn’t be. Thor was in LA. That’s where he’d told him he would be. He was partying with his friends right now, probably waiting for the new year so that he could find some pretty girl or guy to kiss. 

It rang again, and Loki got up from the couch, slowly making his way through the living room. He hesitated for a split second before he pulled the door open, raising his eyebrows at the person standing outside. 

“Thor,” he said, and stared at him, furrowing his brow while looking him up and down. He was really there. His cheeks were flushed - probably from the cold, and he was wearing a grey coat over what looked to be a white shirt and black slacks. But why was he here? Had he lied to him about the party?

Thor smiled back at him, brushing some snow off his coat before reaching up to run his fingers through his hair, which was as usual pulled back in a bun. 

“Hey.”

“What are you doing here?” Loki asked, taking a step back to let Thor inside. He locked the door once he had closed it behind him, and continued to frown at him as he turned around.

“I was on my way to L.A. when I realized… I can see my friends every day, right? I missed Christmas, but I want to spend New Year’s in New York. Besides, I wouldn’t have had anyone to kiss at that party. I mean, Bruce is single, but…” Thor shrugged, and offered him a sheepish grin. “He’s not really my type.”

Loki shook his head at him in disbelief. Thor had come all the way over to New York just to spend the evening with him? Well, he had missed most of it, but as far as Loki was concerned, it was better late than never. 

“I know I’m late,” Thor said, and threw a glance at his watch. “Almost an hour late, but… Hey, they still haven’t celebrated in L.A.” He wrapped his arms around his waist, and Loki couldn’t stop a smile from spreading on his lips when Thor pulled him closer.

“Happy New Year, Loki,” Thor said, and leaned in to press their lips together. Loki immediately moved his hands up to his cheeks, not at all minding the way Thor's beard tickled his palms while they kissed. 


	22. Chapter 22

“This is becoming quite a habit, isn’t it?” Thor pointed out when the two of them lay next to each other in Loki’s bed. It was a new year, a new start, and Loki was still trying to figure out what all of this meant for them. How much longer would Thor be willing to stay with him? He had assured him that he belonged to him, but that was only temporary. Loki was sure of it. Sooner or later, Thor would want to find someone else, and he felt be left all alone again. These thoughts made it really difficult for him to enjoy their time together, which was why he did his best to push them aside, at least for now. He could figure it all out some other time. 

Right now, Thor was still with him, and he looked happy to be there. He was leaning his back against the headboard, while Loki was planted on his stomach, the duvet draped over his lower body. A smile stretched across his lips when Thor began to brush his fingers against his back, and he let out a long sigh. Thor was right. This was turning into a habit. A normal occurence. Obviously they still spent a lot more nights apart than they did together, but Thor had slept over a couple of times now, and it was quickly becoming more and more apparent that the bed felt incredibly empty whenever he wasn’t around. 

“I don’t know if I can sleep alone anymore,” Thor added with a grin, mirroring Loki’s own thoughts. “I’ve been doing okay so far, but… I don’t know. Curling up next to Steve just isn’t the same thing. But I might give it a try, if I ever feel lonely.”

“Oh, I’m sure he would appreciate that,” Loki snorted, and leaned his cheek against his arm.    


“What makes you say that?” 

“Mister America? The one who always seems so proper? Would he really want to snuggle up to… someone like you?” 

Thor raised a brow, and a second later he burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking as he leaned forward and buried his head in his hands. Loki immediately wanted to know what was so funny, but Thor had to wait a moment before he could compose himself enough to give him an actual answer. 

“Loki…” He paused, and took a deep breath. “You remember that Steve was the only one I told, right? He's the only one who knew I was bi. You want to know why he was the only one? It’s not just because he’s one of my best friends, it’s because he told me first. Steve’s bi. But he’s told even fewer people than I have, so you better not let anyone else know.”

Loki gaped at him, and he raised his head so that he could stare at Thor. Steve was bi? And he hadn’t been able to tell. How? How was that possible? He usually could. Not always, but usually. Clearly, he was losing his touch. But this definitely made him see him in a whole new light. Captain America was bi. Oh, this was almost too good to be true. What if the fanboys found out about that? What would they say when they realized that two of the most popular wrestlers in the company were bi? It was almost a shame that Thor had told him not to let anyone else know. Wait, a minute… 

“Have you… With him?” Cap and Thor? No. No, way. Loki refused to believe it. Still, he clenched his fists while he waited for Thor’s response, not sure what he would do if he found out that Thor had slept with yet another one of his collegues. 

“No,” Thor assured him, even shaking his head for emphasis. “I told you, I haven’t slept with any men in the company. There was… a kiss once. But we were both drunk, and we quickly decided that we didn’t feel anything. We’re better off as friends. He’s.. great, and I love him, but he’s not my type.”

“What is your type?” Loki asked, and pushed himself up a bit, the duvet falling down to his legs. He could see Thor’s gaze being drawn to his ass, but he ignored it. “Dark hair, smaller than you, with just a hint of sarcasm?” That description fit at least three of Thor’s conquests, as far as he could tell. Himself, of course, but also Sif and Karnilla. It didn’t fit all of them, though, which made it harder to figure out.

“Well, I don’t usually go for guys who are almost as big as I am. Or bigger. It’s a competitive thing, it’s what happens when you’re a wrestler.” Thor smiled, and shrugged his shoulders. “I have to be the one with the most muscles. That’s probably why I’ve never had a crush on Luke, even though he’s a really dreamy guy.”

Loki huffed at his explanation. “Good to know you haven’t kissed everyone you work with.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore, does it?” Thor pointed out, and leaned closer to him. “From now on, you’re the only one I’ll kiss.”

“Except for when they tell you to kiss someone else,” Loki added, and turned his face away from him. 

“That’s part of my job, Loki,” Thor pointed out with a sigh, and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. Loki still refused to look at him. “I don’t like it any more than you do. Just be happy they haven’t forced me into any more of those storylines.” 

Okay, Loki supposed he had a point. A small one. It could have been a lot worse. Thankfully, they had dropped that storyline pretty fast, but that didn’t change the fact that Loki had hated it. There was also a chance that they would do it again, and who was Thor going to kiss next time? Another one of his exes?

“Don’t you have the power to say no?” Loki asked, not bothering to hide his frustration. “You're one of the most popular wrestlers they have. Shouldn't you be able to turn them down and tell them you don't want to do it?” They couldn’t actually force him, could they? He could just tell them he wasn’t comfortable kissing someone he had broken up with. Or something like that. 

“You know what, if they ever tell me to do it again, I'll give it a try,” Thor said, and Loki shivered when he felt his fingers against his back again. “But it's not that easy. I have a lot less power than you think I do. Sure, I probably have more now than I had before my injury, but not  as much as… I think Steve has the most power right now. He’s number one in the company, he’s the one with the most merchandise… He’s on top. And Tony. Tony has a say in a lot of things. He’s been working there for a long time, and his father used to work there before him… They trust him.”

Loki let out another huff, not at all happy with the explanation. He did understand that this was Thor’s job, and that it wasn’t always easy to say no to the boss. He could get fired. They could replace him or punish him for it. They could decide he was too uncooperative, and not give him any more matches. He understood all of that. But even so, there had to be a way for Thor to get out of those kisses. None of the other wrestlers had those kinds of storylines. Not at the moment, anyway. 

“What if I told you I really didn’t want you to do it?” Loki said, wondering if there was anything he could do to make Thor agree with him. He had to realize why he didn’t want to see him kissing someone else. 

“I don’t think that would change anything, Loki,” Thor insisted. “Like I said, I’d try my best to get out of it, but they’re not going to change their minds because my boyfriend isn’t okay with it.”

Loki turned his eyes away again, and he could hear Thor sigh loudly. He closed his eyes, trying to be as patient as possible while he waited for him to say something else. 

“Can we please just talk about something else?” Thor asked, pressing another kiss to his shoulder, his hot breath caressing his skin. “I really don’t see why this is a problem right now. I haven’t been asked to kiss her again, and until that happens…”

Loki pulled away from him at that, sitting up on the bed and dragging himself closer to the edge. He let his feet fall to the floor, watched them while he waited to see what Thor would do now. He was silent for a long moment, probably trying to figure out what to say next, as if anything would be able to calm him down at this point. 

“Is something wrong?” Thor asked, and Loki wanted to yell at him that of course something was wrong. Was he really that much of an idiot? “Look, Loki, it’s… I understand why it’s hard for you, but there isn’t anything I can do. Not right now. If it makes you feel any better, I doubt they’re going to put me in any of those storylines right now. The Divast are busy with their own stuff, and there’s nothing I need to be involved with. And Karnilla doesn’t  have anything to do with my storyline. It was just something they wanted to try, but they’ve clearly dropped it. Why can’t we?”

Loki kept his eyes in front of him, staring at the door that led to the living room for a long moment. What exactly was Thor looking for? For him to tell him it was fine? That everything was fine? That he didn’t care about Karnilla, or any of the other Divas for that matter? He wished he could keep them out of his mind, but after seeing the way Sif had looked at Thor when they’d kissed… She clearly still had some kind of feelings for him. How was he supposed to ignore something like that? 

“Loki?” Thor prompted, and Loki shrugged his shoulders, pulling away from him again. He stood up and walked over to put some clothes on, ignoring Thor’s gaze on him. 

“Loki, I don’t know what you want me to say,” Thor admitted, still sitting on the bed with a lost look on his face. Loki gave him a quick glance before he shrugged his shoulders again. 

“I don’t need you to say anything,” Loki told him, but changed his mind once he had put on a t-shirt. He turned around, and steeled himself before opening his mouth. 

“Tell me you would choose me,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest when Thor frowned at him, looking incredibly confused. 

“Over what?” Thor asked, and pushed back a few strands of hair. “Over them? Over Karnilla? Of course I would choose you. I’m yours, I told you that. You have nothing to-”

“Over wrestling,” Loki cut him off, realizing that he obviously needed to clarify. He kept his eyes on Thor, too stubborn to look away at this point, and watched as his frown deepened into a scowl.

“You’re kidding, right?” he said. He got up on his feet, and Loki took a small step back, leaning against the dresser as he continued to watch him. “Loki, I’ve already told you… wrestling is my life. It’s been my life for more than ten years now. I’ve known you for… less than a year. More like six months. And you expect me to choose you?” 

Loki opened his mouth to respond, wanting to tell him to fuck off for not even considering it, but realized that he had nothing to say. He had no witty comeback, no nasty retort. Nothing. So, since he couldn’t respond he did the next best thing. He spun around and stormed out of the room. 

The worst part about them being in his apartment was that he couldn’t actually leave. The only option was to kick Thor out, but he wasn’t sure if that was the best option at this point. He didn’t necessarily want to take it that far, he just needed a break. A moment to breathe, without having to think about Thor.

He hurried through the living room, but didn’t even have time to get into the kitchen before Thor had caught up to him. Loki felt a hand closing around his wrist, and he was pulled to a sudden stop. 

“Don’t walk away from me,” Thor said, his voice surprisingly harsh. Loki turned his eyes to him, and almost as if for the first time, he realized just how much bigger Thor actually was. As he let his gaze drop to the hand wrapped firmly around his wrist, he thought about how easy it would have been for Thor to hurt him. His strength was usually a turn on - he had never considered it a threat before. The only thing stopping him from running away was that he knew he wouldn’t. That was one of the few things he was absolutely sure of. Thor would never hurt him. Not physically, anyway.

He turned his eyes back up again, and gave Thor a defiant look as he waited for him to do something, say something. 

“Loki, please,” Thor murmured. His grip on his wrist loosened considerably, but he still didn’t let him go. “Just hear me out, okay?” 

Loki yanked his hand away, but didn’t move. Instead, he gave him a quick nod.

“I’m listening,” he said. 

Thor looked relieved, and he let out a quick sigh before he opened his mouth to speak. 

“You can’t ask me to choose, Loki. Not now.”

“I’m not asking you to actually-” Loki began, but was quickly interrupted by Thor.

“I know,” he said. “I know you’re not, but you’re asking me to tell you what I would do, and I know what kind of answer you want, but… Do you really think that’s fair? I mean, what about your job? If I asked you to give it up, would you do it?”

Loki straightened up as much as he could. Thor was a little taller than him, and he had never hated those inches as much as he did right now.  

“I wouldn’t need to,” he said. “Yes, I work a lot. More than a lot of people. But I’m not out on the road twenty four seven. I’m not the one who’s only home… How often is it? Once a week? Twice? If that?” He shook his head. “You keep insisting that you want a relationship, but what kind of relationship would that be, Thor? What is this? We only see each other a couple of times a month.”

“You’re right,” Thor said, and Loki blinked, not sure if he’d misheard or not. “You’re absolutely right. It’s really hard to have a relationship with someone when you’re a wrestler. It’s not impossible, though. Plenty of people do it. Would I be away a lot? Yeah. Of course I would. But… if we really loved each other, we could make it work. Somehow.” 

Loki turned his eyes away. That word. Love. Did Thor really think they would come to love each other? Did he really see a future for them? No. Impossible. There was no future for them. This relationship had an expiration date, and he was sure they both knew it. Or maybe Thor was fooling himself into thinking they would be fine, as if they would be able to ignore everything else. He really was stupid.

“Either way, I really don’t think that’s a fair question. Not when you’re the one who didn’t even want us to be in a relationship in the first place. I practically had to beg you to be my boyfriend.” Thor let out a frustrated sigh and reached up to scratch the back of his neck. “I really don’t get it, Loki. You don’t want to be my boyfriend, but you want me to tell you that I would give up my job for you? You can’t have it both ways. I’d only give it up for someone I really, really loved. Someone I thought I could have a future with. Someone who would be worth it.”

And he wasn’t that person. He wasn’t worth it. Thor’s words stung, and Loki kept his eyes down, stubbornly staring at his own feet. Maybe telling Thor to get the hell out of his apartment wasn’t such a bad idea after all? He just wanted to be alone again. He wanted a chance to wallow in his own misery, and he couldn’t do that when Thor was around, trying to sound so nice and gentle when he was really just telling him that he wasn’t good enough. He was ruining it. 

Before he had a chance to protest, Thor had cupped his chin and tilted his head back up again, and Loki clenched his jaw when he was forced to meet his eyes. He refused to acknowledge his own wet ones, hoping against all hope that Thor wouldn’t notice it, that he wouldn’t be able to tell that he was possibly about three seconds away from bursting into tears. He wasn’t sure why he was getting so emotional. He just wanted Thor to stop talking, if only for a moment to give him enough time to pull himself together. 

“You do realize I’m falling for you, yes?” Thor asked. Loki’s eyes widened. and gaped at him, a million different questions popping up all at once. What was he talking about? He was falling for him? What did that even mean? Thor couldn’t be… Why would he… After what he had just said...

Loki swallowed past the lump in his throat, and shook his head, words failing him once more. 

“Maybe you didn’t realize,” Thor added, and moved his hand down to his neck, grasping it firmly as he leaned closer. “Well, I am. I’m falling for you, Loki. Honestly, I thought you’d realized that. And I don’t know how you feel about me right now, but-”

“You don’t?” Loki finally managed to get something past his lips, and he cocked a brow as he tried to look a little less vulnerable. “And here I thought I was so easy to read. Isn’t that what you said?”

“You’re easier than you think,” Thor corrected him. “But that doesn’t mean I know how you feel about me. I… hope you like me, and I hope you’re okay with this. If it’s not something you want, just tell me now. I don’t know how much longer I would be able to walk away.”

Loki gave him a long look, trying to figure out whether Thor was actually telling the truth or not. He saw no reason for him to lie about this. Then again, he wasn’t sure if Thor knew what love was. Had he been in love before? How did he know that he was falling for him? Since he didn’t want to ask these questions out loud, he chose to stay silent, deciding that he didn’t want to say anything about his own feelings for Thor. He wasn’t telling him to get the fuck out, though, which Thor must have taken as a good sign. He even let out a relieved sigh. 

“So, can we please just… talk about this some other time? Down the road, when it’s actually relevant?” 

Loki nodded his head in agreement, and didn’t pull away when Thor leaned down to capture his lips in a somewhat hesitant kiss, choosing instead to press himself closer. Thor wrapped his arms around him, and Loki leaned his head on his shoulder, closing his eyes as he took comfort in the embrace. They stood there for a long moment, neither of them saying anything, before Thor broke the silence. 

“How about some breakfast?” he said. There was a smile on his lips when they pulled back. 

Once they were in the kitchen, Thor raided his fridge, and Loki sat down to watch as he made them both some eggs with spinach, peppers, and even some of that brown rice he had left behind. When Thor put the plate down in front of him, Loki gave him a suspicious look. 

“This is breakfast?” he asked, and Thor nodded his head, motioning for him to dig in. It didn’t taste as bad as Loki had thought it would, and soon enough he was putting one piece of egg after the other into his mouth. While they ate, they quickly realized that they needed to say something in order to get away from the drama, and somehow they ended up talking about Christmas. Thor told him that talking to his father was never easy these days, and that the two of them were far too stubborn to admit that the other one had a point. His mother had tried her best to meddle, though, and all in all he’d had an okay couple of days with them. As for Loki, he told Thor - once again - about how embarrassing it had been to open the present in front of his brothers.

“You do realize I’m going to get back at you for it, right?” he said while Thor was trying his hardest not to laugh too loudly. 

“Yes,” he said once he’d stopped. “I do realize that. By all means, bring it on.”

When breakfast was over and it was time for them to clear the table, Loki kept glancing over at Thor, wondering if he would make some excuse and tell him that he needed to leave. After their fight, he wouldn’t blame him. But Thor said nothing about wanting to leave. In fact, as soon as everything had been put away, he turned around and gave him an expectant look, as if he was waiting for him to tell him what they were going to do next. 

It was far too cold to leave his apartment, and Loki decided he would much rather spend the day on the couch. He even allowed Thor to grab the remote, and he watched as he flipped through the channels, eventually finding a movie he seemed to think they should watch. A couple of hours later, Thor asked him if he had seen Smackdown, and Loki shook his head. Of course, that led to the two of them watching it together, and Loki gave Thor a quick glance when he put his arm around his shoulders. Okay, now it was starting to feel a bit domestic again. But maybe there wasn’t anything wrong with that? This was better than being alone, wasn’t it? Loki decided he didn’t mind it. Not right now, anyway. 

It turned out that watching wrestling with Thor was almost more fun than watching it with Amora. He wasn’t quite as loud or energetic as her, but he talked about each of the wrestlers when they came out, and he did actually cheer for them a few times. 

“Okay, you have to watch this kick right here,” he said excitedly, and pointed at the screen in the middle of a match. But he wasn’t pointing at himself. Cap was in the ring, fighting Doom, and Loki raised his eyebrows as he watched the TV, waiting for whatever was about to happen. Just as Doom was about to attack him  Cap jumped up, and the sound that occurred when his foot collided with Doom’s chest was admittedly really impressive, and also really loud. Thor certainly seemed to think so, and he let out a laugh.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” he said, and clapped his hands together with a big smile. 

Of course, it was Loki’s turn to smile as soon as Thor came out on stage. Thor tried to change the channel, and when Loki wouldn’t let him he reached for a pillow and hid behind it, pretending to be incredibly embarrassed when he saw himself on screen. Loki rolled his eyes at the false modesty.

“Who’s going to win?” he asked, and pulled the pillow away from him. Thor put a finger over his lips and shook his head, letting him know that he wasn’t going to tell him. As always, he was such a tease. Loki glared at him before hitting him with the pillow. Oaf. He couldn’t even tell him what would happen when he was sitting right next to him. The worst part was that it wasn't an important match. It was just Smackdown. 

Well, it didn’t matter. Loki didn’t have to wait very long to find out the answer. The match only lasted for about five minutes, and he smiled again when Thor pinned Black Panther and the referee counted to three. 

“I knew it,” he said. Thor ignored the cheering audience and nudged his arm.

“Of course you did.” He threw a glance at himself. “Don’t I deserve some sort of reward for winning the match? I like to think I did a pretty good job. Panther put up quite a fight.”

Oh, he wanted a reward? Loki turned back to the TV, watching Thor pose for the crowd while he pretended to consider his words. He could tell that Thor was eager for him to say something, but he took his time, not looking away until they cut back to the commentators. Loki let out a soft hum as he put his hands on Thor’s shoulders, easily planting himself on his lap. 

“Fine,” he said, rolling his hips with a smirk. “You’ll get your reward.”

“What about Falcon’s match?” Thor asked when another theme song came on and the audience started cheering again. Loki gave him an unimpressed look. He was straddling him, and he was thinking about Falcon? 

“Fuck him,” he said, and leaned in to press their lips together. 

“Actually, I’d rather fuck you,” Thor said, unable to hold back a chuckle, and Loki immediately reached for the pillow again. 

Unfortunately, Thor could only stay for so long. After one more night together, it was time for him to leave. Thor told him that as much as he wanted to stay, he had other things to do. He needed to get back to his normal schedule. Loki wasn’t sure what that entailed, other than lots of working out and eating. More wrestling, he supposed. 

After several kisses, Thor was finally able to pull himself away, and Loki let out a long sigh as soon as the door had closed behind him. It was getting harder and harder to say goodbye. Loki hated it. He hated how… codependent he felt like he was at the moment. It was getting a little ridiculous. He wasn’t going to deny that he had feelings for Thor. In fact, that was the problem. His feelings for Thor were growing stronger and stronger each time they saw each other, and Thor was obviously going through something similar. He had told him that he was falling for him, after all. To be honest, Loki still wasn’t entirely sure what that meant. Was Thor already in love, or did he think he was going to be any day now? 

Going back to work on Monday was actually kind of nice. They were busy, but it helped him think about something other than Thor. He was back to thinking about him later that night, though. It was difficult not to when he was watching him on TV. Thor didn’t seem to have all that much of a storyline going on at the moment, though. He fought Black Panther again, but they hadn’t really explained why the two of them were so angry at each other. Sif and Mystique had a much better feud going, and Loki assumed the two of them were about to go head to head on Royal Rumble. Cap, on the other hand, had a very strange feud at the moment. He was still trying to get Bucky to talk to him. That wasn’t easy, though. 

He came out to the ring and picked up a microphone, watching the jumbotron as he begged Bucky to get out there so that they could at least try to work it out. But nothing happened. Bucky didn’t come out, no music was heard, and Cap was left all alone in the ring. Loki was almost starting to feel bad for him. Almost. He just looked so defeated as he hung his head and left the ring, slowly making his way back out again. He didn’t even have a match. He was just there to try to get Bucky to talk to him. It was a good thing Loki had seen him interacting with Bucky backstage. That made it easier not to feel sorry for him. 

Thor called him when the show was over, just to hear what he’d thought, and Loki told him his honest opinion, letting him know that he was waiting for some kind of proper storyline again. After the whole Cap vs. Stark thing, Thor hadn’t really had much to do, and it showed. 

“Well, you’ll just have to wait for the Rumble,” Thor said. “Trust me, there’s usually a lot of feuds being established after the Rumble. I mean, it’s time to start building up for Wrestlemania. And that’s usually an exciting time, so I think you’ll enjoy it. There should be a lot of important stuff happening. Speaking of which…” He paused, and Loki narrowed his eyes. What now? He wasn’t about to tell him that he was going to have another feud with the Hulk, was he? Because Loki wasn’t sure if he could handle seeing Stark that often. Again.

“I want you to come to the Rumble. It’s my favorite show, after Wrestlemania, of course, and… I really want you to be there.”

“Why?” Loki asked, giving his own hands a suspicious look since Thor wasn’t in the room with him. “Are you going to win?”

“I still don’t know, Loki,” Thor told him. “It’s a possibility. Not that it’s the only possibility. Lots of people want to fight Thanos. I’m sure Luke would love to get a second chance. Cap would look great as the champ… A lot of people want that title.”

Loki sighed. He still refused to tell him. Or maybe he really didn’t know. Loki had no idea how late or early they were told who would win these things. 

“I don’t know,” he said slowly. “I have a feeling we’ll be really busy at work. Where is it?”

“Boston,” Thor told him. “Look, I’ll take care of everything. Hotel, flight, tickets… Everything.” 

Loki was flattered that Thor wanted him to be there so badly, and he wasn’t trying to get out of it, he just didn’t know if he would be able to make it. They were already busy at work, and he had a feeling it was about to get even worse. Still, the Rumble did sound like quite a bit of fun, and he wanted to be there just in case Thor won. 

"Let me think about it," Loki said, not wanting to get his hopes up. He couldn't just leave whenever he wanted to. Even if the pay-per-view would be on a Sunday, he wasn’t sure if flying to Boston would be a good idea at the time. Nevertheless, he would give it a chance. For Thor.

 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter. I think it's about 9000 words. Oops. I really don't know how that happened. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy it!
> 
> Oh, and I might as well let you all know. The next chapter, which is the Royal Rumble chapter, will be posted on Sunday next week, which is the day of the actual Royal Rumble. I figured I might as well go ahead and do it like that. It is also the 24th chapter, and it will be posted on the 24th. I thought that was... kind of amusing. I'm probably the only one. 
> 
> I'll just see myself out.

Loki had been right. They were getting busier and busier at work and he was rapidly enjoying it less and less. He had always been a hard worker, but for some reason his passion for what he did seemed to be diminishing. He wished he could figure out why that was. Perhaps it had something to do with the people at his office still struggling to truly recognize his talent, or perhaps it was the fact that his co-workers annoyed him more than ever.

At least he had Thor in his life. Sometimes work served as a nice distraction when he didn’t want to think about him, but Thor could also be just as nice of a distraction when he didn’t want to keep thinking about work. 

Since the Royal Rumble pay-per-view was only a couple of weeks away, Thor and he continued to discuss the possibility of him seeing it live. Of course, he made sure to point out that it wouldn’t be as easy for him to get away this time. 

“Look, I work on Mondays, and if I go all the way to Boston… Either I try to get Monday off as well so that I can stay the night, or I get on a plane straight after the Rumble.” Which would probably lead to him only getting a couple of hours of sleep before it was time to be at the office. Neither option seemed particularly tempting at the moment. Did he want to have the day off? Yes. It sounded really nice to be away from work for a day, especially if he got to spend that day with Thor, but could he afford it? Would they even let him have the day off?

“Loki, I’m not trying to force you into anything,” Thor promised him. “If you’re there, great. If you can’t come… I’ll just have to survive without you. It’ll be fine.”

“So you’re saying you don’t care?” Loki asked at once. 

“That’s not what I said.” He could hear Thor sighing loudly, and Loki’s chest clenched uncomfortably at the sound. “Why are you trying to twist my words? All I said is that it’s okay if you decide you don’t want to come. Or _can't_ come. But of course I care. Of course I want you to be there. I want to be able to look out at the crowd and know that you’re sitting there, cheering for me." He paused. "You would cheer for me, wouldn’t you? Or do you think Cap should win?”

Loki snorted. 

“Captain America? No. Definitely not. I think he’s won enough. It’s your turn.” But he couldn’t be sure that Thor would actually win this. He was far from the only available option. There were some people who most likely didn’t stand a chance - the ones who never had the spotlight turned their way, the ones who lost more matches than they won. None of them would be the last one standing, but that didn’t make it any easier to guess who the winner would be. Thor could win, sure, but so could Cap. So could Luke Cage. So could… Hulk. Or could he? Was it possible for him to win when he had the Money in the Bank briefcase? Loki had no idea, but he assumed it was a possibility. It seemed a little redundant, though. After all, he could only cash in on the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. And winning the Rumble would give him a chance to become that champion. So if he won the Rumble, and then defeated Thanos to become the champ… Well, then what? He couldn’t cash in on himself. The briefcase would become useless. 

“We’ll see about that. Just let me know soon, okay? I’ll make sure to save you a seat.”

The very next day, Loki went to talk to the manager. He knew there was no way he would want to fly back from the Rumble and head straight to work the next day. No, he needed that Monday off. If Thor won, they would have to celebrate by having sex. If he lost, Loki would obviously need to comfort him and take  his mind off what had just happened. By having sex. He couldn’t make that happen if he had to work the next morning. 

At first, Mr. Walker seemed a little reluctant, like he didn't think he should go. They were really busy right now, after all, and they needed the whole team on board. Loki was quick to remind him that he was getting more work done than anyone else in the place. If he didn’t get a day off, maybe quitting was the next best thing? A little blackmail had never hurt anyone, and Mr. Walker finally agreed to it. Loki left his office with a smirk on his lips, and he quickly called Thor to let him know that he would be coming to Boston. He would get to watch the Rumble live. 

He didn’t even feel that bad about leaving the rest of the team to their own devices. There was a lot going on right now, and they would probably be incredibly lost without him, but he didn’t care at this point. They could survive one day without him. It was time for someone other than him to pick up the slack for once. 

The next couple of weeks went by in a flash. Or so it felt like. Soon enough, it was time for the last Raw before the Rumble, and Loki could not have been more excited as he sat down to watch it. Amora had called him earlier that day, and she was once again incredibly jealous that he would get to watch a pay-per-view live. She had even told him that she wanted to join him next time. He told her she would have to ask Thor for an extra ticket. 

When Raw got started, Cap was once again trying to get Bucky to talk to him. He begged his former friend to join him in the ring, but just like every other time, absolutely nothing happened. Bucky hadn’t been on the show in a while. He wasn't even attacking people backstage anymore. Poor Cap had to give up after he’d stood there for a couple of minutes, watching the stage in vain. He didn't get to leave this time, though. Before he had time to make his way out of the ring, Crossbones walked out on stage with a microphone in his hand, and Loki was immediately intrigued because they didn’t get to hear him talk that often. 

“Oh, Cap,” Crossbones began, and shook his head as he made his way over to the ring. “Haven’t you figured it out by now? He’s not coming. It doesn’t matter how many times you stand out here, begging for him to come to you. He’s not going to do it. He doesn’t even remember you anymore.” Crossbones jumped up the steps and smiled as he climbed into the ring. “You might as well give up. Just quit. Whatever the two of you had doesn’t exist anymore.” 

They cut to Cap, who had his jaw clenched tightly as he watched him. 

“Your pal, your buddy... Your Bucky. He’s not coming.” Crossbones told him, letting out a loud laugh just to taunt him. He even tossed his head back, and that was the moment Cap chose to rush forward and tackle him. Once they were both down, the microphone was thrown aside as the two of them went at it. There was no technique to it, no finesse. It was just two people wanting to hurt each other, one looking a little more desperate than the other. Soon enough, four referees came hurrying down the ramp. They called for the two of them to stop, but Cap refused to move away from Crossbones. Loki was actually impressed. It was kind of nice to see this side of him. 

They had to pull the two of them apart by force, and Cap finally backed away once he was on his feet, leaning against the ropes while the crowd chanted “Let them fight! Let them fight!” The referees clearly didn’t want to take any chances, and all four of them escorted Crossbones away from there, while Cap was left alone in the ring, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a tired look on his face. 

Then there was a commercial break, and Loki headed into the kitchen to get a glass of water. When he came back, Luke Cage was on screen, along with a much smaller man. The man was wearing a suit,  just like every other time Loki had seen him. He’d shown up on Raw two weeks ago, and as far as Loki understood, he wasn’t actually new, he’d just been away for a little while. He couldn’t remember his name, though, mostly because he figured it wasn’t important. 

Both of them were looking at a big, golden box someone had placed on a table. It looked like it was important, but because of the angle Loki couldn’t see what was in it. Before they had a chance to explain it, Thor stepped into the shot, and he smiled as he greeted Luke with a pat on the back.

“Picking your entrance number, my friend?” he said, and Loki frowned. Entrance number? Wait, were they talking about the Rumble? Were they about to pick when they would get to enter the match? How were they doing that? He assumed it had something to do with the big box. There had to be something in it. 

Luke nodded in response to Thor’s queston, while the guy in the suit tilted his head to the side. 

“I’m guessing you’re here for the same reason, Thor?”

“Yes, I am, Coulson,” Thor confirmed. “Are you here to supervise?”

“Someone needs to make sure you don’t cheat,” Coulson said, and Thor raised his eyebrows while motioning for Luke to go ahead. 

“Thor and I don’t cheat,” Luke pointed out, and stuck his hand inside the box, pulling out a small, folded piece of paper. Thor did the same, and the two of them turned their backs against each other as they opened them. There was probably a number on each piece of paper, but of course they didn’t let the audience see what number the two of them had gotten. Loki pressed his lips together. They were teasing him, weren’t they? He couldn’t tell if either of them had gotten a good number. There were no smiles, and no cheers. They simply gave each other a look before walking away from there, leaving Coulson alone with his box. 

Loki quickly reached for his phone and sent Thor a text, asking him about the number even though he knew it was useless because Thor would never tell him. Just like he’d suspected, he got a text telling him that he would just have to find out on Sunday, and he muttered a couple of curses while putting his phone down. 

Eventually, the time came for him to go to Boston. Since he didn’t have any other plans that weekend, he had decided to leave a day early. That way, they would get to spend almost the whole Saturday together. He assumed they would be spending most of that time in bed, and he was more than happy about that. Maybe he could even try to get Thor to tell him if he would win or not. He definitely had a couple of tricks up his sleeve.

It was a short flight, which he was very thankful for. When he got there, he tried to hurry as much as possible, eager to see Thor again. Luckily, he already knew where he would be going. Thor had told him the name of the hotel the previous night, since he couldn’t very well pick him up at the airport. There were too many people around, some of them were bound to be fans, and it was easier for him not to go. Loki didn't mind. It was kind of nice to get a couple of minutes to himself before it was finally time to see Thor. 

He got into a cab and gave the driver the right address, pulling his coat tighter around himself as he looked out at the snow outside the window. It was cold. Too cold, almost, and he was glad they would be spending most of the time inside, whether that was inside a small hotel room or a huge arena. 

As soon as they got to the hotel, he paid the driver and got out of the car. The hotel didn't look quite as fancy as the last one, but it would suffice. They were really only here to have sex and sleep, and they didn't need much more than a bed for that. 

It didn’t take him long to find the elevators, and he stepped inside and pressed the button for the sixth floor, where Thor was waiting for him. While he stood there, he was reminded of the first time they had met up in a hotel, and he shook his head, thinking about how far they had come since then. So much had happened, and he was certainly a lot less nervous this time. 

He knocked on the door and smiled when Thor opened it. He looked great, of course, wearing a light blue t-shirt that was clinging to his muscles. Thor grinned at him, and quickly pulled him into the room so that he could press their lips together, giving him a long kiss. 

“At least let me put my things down,” Loki told him, pushing against his chest to get Thor to step away. He did just that, and Loki put his suitcase by the door before removing his scarf. “You can have your way with me in a moment.”

“Actually,” Thor said just as Loki was trying to get his coat off. He quickly turned around to look at him.  

“I can’t have my way with you right now.”

Loki glared at him. 

“You’re not going somewhere, are you? Because I swear, if you dragged me all the way over here just to leave me alone in a hotel room…” Well, he would not be pleased. And Thor would know it. 

Thor shook his head and moved forward, putting his hands on his hips. “Actually,” he said again, and gave him a soft kiss. “ _We_  are going somewhere. We’re… going on a little trip.”

“Where are we going?” Loki narrowed his eyes and gave him a suspicious look.

“It’s a surprise,” Thor said. “Look, why don’t you rest for a little while? I’m going down to the lobby to make a couple of phone calls. I’ll see you down there as soon as you’re ready.” Once he’d given him one more kiss, he grabbed a couple of things before leaving the room, and Loki frowned as he tried to figure out what had just happened. They were going somewhere? He had just gotten rhere, and they were leaving? But where? Couldn’t Thor at least have given him a small hint? He didn’t know what to do. Should he get changed? 

Since he didn’t have an answer to any of those questions, he decided to jump into the shower. Even though it had been a short flight, it had still left him feeling a little dirty, and he was dying to wash up. Once he was finished inside the bathroom, he walked into the other room and studied the contents of his suitcase before he decided to put on black slacks and a white shirt. Perhaps some people would have considered that to be a tad bit overdressed, but since he had no idea where he was going, he obviously needed to be prepared. They could be meeting up with Thor’s friends, and he wanted to make a great second impression. 

After taking a look at himself in the mirror to make sure his hair looked like it was supposed to, Loki grabbed his jacket and left the room. One elevator ride later he was back in the lobby, and he immediately spotted Thor. He was hard not to notice, really. He was taller and bigger than most people around. Thor slid his phone into his pocket as soon as he came closer, and motioned for him to follow him outside. 

“I forgot to tell you how gorgeous you look,” he said as he led him over to a black car that was parked right outside the hotel, and Loki rolled his eyes.

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” he said. “Now, tell me where we are going.”

“Not a chance.” Thor grinned, and opened the door to the backseat. “Get in.” 

Loki sighed, but did as he had been told, and Thor quickly followed him inside the car. Loki threw a quick look at the driver before turning his eyes to Thor, who was looking for something in the big bag he had brought with him. Of course, Loki was immediately curious, and he tilted his head to the side as he watched him. When Thor finally showed him what he had been looking for, though, he immediately gave him another suspicious look. It was a blindfold. What the hell was Thor doing with a blindfold?

“You’re not kidnapping me, are you?” he muttered, and Thor shook his head. 

“Not this time. Turn around. I can’t let you see where we’re going.” Loki gave him a long look, hesitating for a couple of seconds, before he decided he could do it. He could trust Thor. He turned around, and allowed Thor to get the blindfold on. Suddenly, everything was dark, and Loki wasn’t entirely comfortable with it. He felt like he had absolutely no control, but as long as they were in the car, he supposed it was alright. Thor made sure that he was comfortable, and he even took his hand in his, giving it a firm squeeze. 

Since Loki couldn’t see anything, he had to rely on his other senses. He could feel every turn the driver made, every bump in the road, but that didn’t tell him anything. If they had been in Manhattan, maybe he would have been able to guess where they were going, but they were in Boston, and he was not at all familiar with the city. He couldn't even be sure how long they were stuck in there. It felt like half an hour, or maybe more than that. At some point, the car came to a stop, and Thor thanked the driver, telling him he would call him later. 

Thor helped him out of the car, and Loki breathed in the cold air, wondering where they were going next. 

“Let me help you,” Thor said, and put an arm around his waist, leading him… somewhere. Loki tried to listen for any kind of clues. He could hear cars, but that was not much of a clue. They could be anywhere. For all he knew, they were on their way to a restaurant, but it seemed silly for Thor to blindfold him just for that. Unless he was attempting to embarrass him somehow. 

At last, they came to a stop, and Thor let go of him. There was the sound of a door opening, and then Thor’s hand was on his arm, guiding him forward. The door closed behind them, and it felt warm, less windy, and quiet. They had obviously stepped inside some kind of building, and Loki furrowed his brow. There didn’t seem to be any people around. He couldn’t hear anyone talking - or whispering, for that matter - and the only footsteps he heard were his own and Thor’s, when they started walking again. 

“Are we there yet?” he asked, and Thor let out a chuckle. 

“Soon,” he said. 

They kept walking, then there was another door, and then another one after that. Loki still didn’t know where they were. It certainly didn’t seem to be a normal house. It was too big. When they had been walking for what must have been a couple of minutes, at least, he was beginning to get suspicious. This had to be a pretty big building, unless they were going around in circles, but it certainly didn’t seem like it. So what…? 

“Almost there,” Thor told him, and led him around what Loki assumed was a corner. “Here we are,” he said, and there was definitely a bit of an echo. Loki stopped walking, and he could feel Thor taking a step back so that he was standing right behind him. “You can look now,” he said, and reached up to remove the blindfold. 

Loki slowly opened his eyes, blinking a couple of times before he could see anything. Thankfully, the place wasn’t that bright, and it didn’t take very long for his eyes to adjust. When they did, they instantly widened. What… They were on a stage. And not just any stage. He looked down, and then glanced behind him, before turning his eyes over to thousands of seats that were spread out all over the arena. Finally, his gaze was drawn to the wrestling ring that was centered in the middle of the locale, and he shook his head. This had to be some sort of dream. This was not real.

He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again, not sure what he was supposed to say right now. He stepped forward, closer to the ramp, and slowly parted his lips again. 

“Why… Why are we here?” he asked. 

“That’s your first question?” Thor smiled, and stepped past him, giving his shoulder a quick pat before he let his gaze sweep across the arena. “This is pretty cool, isn’t it?”

“It’s empty,” Loki pointed out. 

Thor nodded his head. 

“Yeah, I know.” He gave him a look, and seemed to realize what he was getting at. “I called in a few favors, pulled a few strings. It’s going to be empty for another three hours.”

Loki stared at him for a couple of seconds, before turning around. “There’s no jumbotron,” he pointed out, and Thor followed his gaze to the currently empty wall behind them. 

“I think the titantron is going up tomorrow,” he said. “Or possibly in three hours. Don’t you worry, it’ll be there when the Rumble starts.” He nudged his arm. “Do you want to see where you’ll be sitting?” he asked, and Loki nodded his head, even though that seemed like the last thing he should be interested in when they were standing there, just a couple of feet away from a wrestling ring. Thor offered him his hand, but Loki shook his head, wanting the chance to walk down the ramp on his own. Thor seemed to get it, and he took a step away from him so that the two of them could walk down side by side. 

“This is insane,” Loki said quietly, unable to stop looking around. There would be thousands of people sitting in those seats, but right now there was no one there but them. The place almost seemed bigger like this. Almost even more impressive. It was certainly a lot more quiet. The fans were bound to scream a lot the following night, no matter who won. At the moment, it seemed strangely quiet. 

“You get used to it,” Thor said, and dropped the bag he had been carrying at the end of the ramp before rushing forward and sliding into the ring. He stood up, and turned around to smile at Loki, who was definitely not going to attempt a similar trick. Instead, he stopped in front of the ring, walking forward to gently brush his fingers against the mat. Thor allowed him to take his time with it, and Loki slowly made his way over to the steel steps. Once he was standing outside of the ropes, he realized that climbing into the ring could not be as easy as the wrestlers tended to make it look like. He wasn’t sure which leg to use first, or if he was supposed to try to get over the top rope. Thor walked over and gave him an amused look.

“Allow me,” he said, and put his hand on the second rope, pushing it down to him more space to climb through. Loki bent down and somewhat awkwardly got into the ring, almost stumbling before he managed to regain his balance. He had never been a clumsy person, but suddenly he didn’t feel particularly gracious. Once he was safely inside, Thor let go of the red rope and leaned against it as he watched him. 

Loki stepped into the middle of the ring, taking another look around the arena. Even if no one was there to watch him - other than Thor - it felt like he was the center of attention, and he could imagine the crowd, all of them keeping their eyes on him, eagerly waiting to hear him speak. It was a slightly intimidating thought, but also an incredibly exhilarating one. Thor left the ropes and moved over to the corner, climbing up to the top one, and Loki raised a brow as he looked at him.

“I’m just practicing,” Thor said without looking at him. “Not that I’ll get a chance to do this tomorrow. There’ll be no posing. Not from anyone. You just get inside the ring and attack as many people as you can.”

“But what if you win?” Loki asked, and reached up to remove his coat, shrugging it off and carefully hanging it over one of the poles. 

“If I win, I guess I get to pose,” Thor agreed with a nod of his head, and jumped back down again. He moved with such an ease, as if this was nothing to him, as if this was truly where he belonged. And Loki supposed he did. This was Thor’s home. The ring. Loki, on the other hand, felt like he was out of his element, something he definitely wasn’t used to. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, though. Being in the ring with Thor couldn’t possibly be a bad thing. 

“So where will I be sitting?” he asked, and Thor walked over to him, putting his hands on his shoulders and pointing over at ringside. 

“Over there,” he said. “I’m not sure exactly which seat, but you’ll see.” So it was the same side as last time. To the left of the announcers table, which meant that the cameras probably wouldn't be on him very often. Loki couldn’t help but wonder if Thor seated him like that on purpose. Did he not want anyone to see him? Was he ashamed of him? But how could anyone know that he was there to see Thor? How could they know he was anything other than a casual viewer? 

“You’ll be close, but not too close,” Thor said, and let go of him, climbing out of the ring and over the barricade. He looked around at the chairs and pointed at one in the third row. “I think this is it. Somewhere around here. I would have put you in the front, but I wasn’t sure you wanted to sit that close to the wrestlers. They’re gonna be thrown out of the ring, and they could get a little heated.” He smiled, and walked over to sit down on one of the chairs in the front row, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched him. 

Loki decided to ignore Thor for now, and stepped into the middle of the ring again. He turned around so that he was facing the stage, and imagined someone coming out, walking down the ramp to face him. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to imagine a fight, though. He was no wrestler. But he did remember a fantasy he’d had a long time ago. The one where he brought every wrestler out just to make them kneel. A smirk appeared on his lips while he was imagining it, and he stepped forward, putting his hands on the ropes. He could see it. He could see Hulk and Stark coming out there, and the two of them having no choice but to kneel before him. How he would accomplish such a thing, he had no idea, but it didn’t matter when it was just a fantasy. 

He barely noticed Thor making his way over the barricade, only turning around to look at him when he climbed into the ring. 

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Thor said, and there was a knowing look on his face as he stepped closer. “Are you thinking about what it would be like to be a wrestler?”

“No,” Loki said. He walked over to the corner of the ring and leaned against the ropes, smiling softly as he watched Thor. “No, I have… other fantasies in mind.”

“Yeah?” Thor’s smile widened. “Would you mind telling me about these fantasies?”

“I picture myself in charge,” Loki started, deciding he had no reason to be ashamed of these fantasies. He was sure the wrestlers had their own fantasies all the time. They probably imagined themselves at the top of the company, winning as many championships as they could. “I picture myself in the ring, ordering all of the wrestlers to come out here.”

“The whole roster?”

“Yes.” Loki nodded. “And I would make them all kneel. I would make sure to let them know that I am the one in charge, and that they can’t say no to me. I am sure Stark would protest, but that would not matter to me. I would enjoy it. Every moment of it." Loki hummed quietly as he thought about it. "Perhaps I would even make him crawl.”

Thor laughed softly at his words, and shook his head before the smile faded from his lips almost completely. “And what about me?” he asked, slowly stepping closer until he was standing in front of him, their bodies separated by no more than a few inches of space. Loki swallowed, and met his eyes with a smirk he was unable to hide. 

“Well?” Thor asked, and Loki could have sworn his eyes had gotten a little darker. “What would you have me do?”

Loki cocked his head, waiting a couple of seconds as he pretended to consider it, even though it was something he had imagined more than once. 

“I would bring you into the ring,” he said, his voice heavy with barely controlled excitement. “I would bring you into the ring, and I would tell you to kneel before me. No matter how much you fought against it, I would…” He trailed off as soon as Thor dropped down, actually getting on his knees right in front of him. He made it look like it was the simplest thing he had ever done. 

Loki stared. He had not thought it would be that easy. He had thought Thor would give him some sort of spiel about how he would kneel before no one, and yet there he was, willingly getting down on his knees as soon as he had voiced the wish out loud. Loki wasn’t sure what to say.

“Is this what you had in mind?” Thor asked, and reached out to unbutton his slacks. Loki licked his dry lips and nodded his head.

“Something like that, yes,” he confessed. Thor smiled, and gave him a quick look before pulling his pants down to his knees, his underwear following a second later. 

“Are you sure we’re alone?” Loki asked when Thor wrapped a hand around his already half hard cock. It was probably too late to ask that now, but even though his fantasy had been to make Thor kneel in front of a big crowd, he wasn’t sure he wanted anyone to walk in on them. As far as he was concerned, this was for his eyes only. 

“I’m sure,” Thor said, his voice firm. Loki allowed himself to relax, and tried his best to get comfortable against the ropes when Thor started to stroke him, slowly moving his hand from the base of his cock to brush his thumb against the tip. This was not at all what Loki had imagined would happen when he had realized where they were. He had to admit, hough, that this was far better than doing it in a hotel room. 

Just as he had imagined, Thor did look very good on his knees, and Loki was quick to inform him of this. It earned him a chuckle in response, and another swipe of Thor's thumb against the head of his cock. 

Thor proceeded to stroke him until he was almost painfully hard. Loki's throat felt dry, and his heart was beating a thousand miles a minute as he waited to find out what he would do next. He was tempted to ask if he had ever done something like this before, but then he realized he didn't want to risk ruining the mood. If Thor had ever had sex inside a wrestling ring, he didn’t need to know about it.

“I hope I'll be able to make you feel good,” Thor said, still keeping his eyes on his own moving hand. “After all those fantasies I would hate to disappoint you.” 

“I'm sure you're up for the challenge,” Loki said, and moved his hand to the back of Thor’s head, brushing his fingers through his hair and toying with the bun. Without as much as a warning, Thor leaned in and wrapped his lips around the head of his cock, and Loki could do nothing to hold back a loud moan, trying his best to ignore the echo.

He watched, transfixed, as Thor began to work on getting more of him into his mouth, his lips about halfway down his cock when he pulled back again, licking along the shaft. There was a guttural sound ripped from Loki’s throat when Thor looked up to meet his eyes just as he pressed a kiss to the sticky head. He even had the nerve to wink at him, and Loki tried in vain to dig his nails into the hard rope he was still clutching in his hand. 

While watching him, he quickly began to realize that it was more than just the blowjob that was turning this into such an intense experience. While Thor was amazing at making him feel just right by swirling his tongue around the head of his cock, or pulling him into his warm mouth and sucking as hard as he could, it was the fact that he had Thor on his knees in front of him that was really making his heart beat so much faster. He had to hold himself up by leaning against the ropes, glad that he was in the corner because it gave him the additional amount of support he sorely needed at the moment. 

One hand was holding on to the top rope while the other was buried in Thor’s hair. He tugged at Thor’s bun to encouraging him to keep going, and got a long moan in response. Thor swallowed him deeper, clearly determined to get as much of him inside as he could, and he sucked hard as he started bobbing his head, setting a quick, steady rhythm.

It was almost too overwhelming, too insane that they were inside a place where thousands of people would be gathered the following day. Loki had to tighten his grip on Thor’s hair just to make sure he stayed aware of what was happening right now. His thighs began to tremble, and he was grateful when Thor gripped one of his hips to keep him in place. He continued to watch him with his lips parted and his breathing heavy, still unable to stop himself from thinking about where they were. Thor, one of of the most popular wrestlers in this company, was on his knees in front of him, doing everything he could to pleasure him. Loki had fantazied about it a couple of times, but of course the fantasy was nothing compared to the real deal. He had _never_ in his life felt more powerful than he did in that moment, and the realization, the adrenaline that was pumping through his body, was more than enough to push him over the edge.

He came almost embarrassingly fast, stuttering Thor’s name as a warning, but Thor refused to pull back. Loki’s face was twisted with pleasure as he came, emptying himself into his mouth, and he let out a broken moan when he felt Thor swallowing around him. When he finally let him go, Loki pulled his hand away from Thor’s hair so that he could grip the other side of the ropes to keep himself standing. He breathed heavily, tilting his head down as he waited for his thighs to stop shaking. When a couple of seconds had passed, he opened an eye and watched as Thor gave him a smile. A drop of come hade somehow ended up on his chin, and Thor reached up to wipe it off, keeping his eyes on him as he popped the finger into his mouth to suck it clean. 

Loki whimpered, and pressed himself against the turnbuckles when Thor stood up.

“Are you okay?” Thor asked, an infuriating grin plastered on his face. He was clearly quite proud of himself, and Loki shot him a halfhearted glare. 

“I’m fine,” he said, and nodded his head, twisting his body so that he could lean his forehead against the top turnbuckle. “Just give me a moment.” 

Thor did just that, stepping away from him to give him some room to breathe. He walked into the middle of the ring and started running the ropes, quickly making his way from one side of the ring to the other. Once Loki had calmed down a little bit, he pulled up his pants and watched as Thor kept moving, bouncing off the ropes as if it was no big deal. 

“Are you trying to tire yourself out?” Loki asked. He was sure they had plenty of other ways of doing that. _Better_ ways. Thor stopped moving, and turned around to look at him.

“Did you have something else in mind?” he asked, the grin quickly returning to his lips. “Are there any other fantasies we should try out while we’re at it?”

“I might have one more,” Loki said, glad that Thor was willing to listen to him. Thor easily could have dragged him into the ring and had his way with him straight away (and Loki probably wouldn’t have minded) but instead he had made this all about him, and even though Loki wasn’t about to thank him any time soon, he did appreciate the effort. 

“Oh, you do?” Thor cocked a brow, and made his way over to him, putting his hands on the ropes so that Loki was trapped in the corner. “Are you going to tell me about it?”

Loki licked his lips. “I…” He trailed off, and let out a disappointed sigh. “It would have been much better if you’d been wearing your stupid costume.”

Thor pulled back, and raised his eyebrows at him. “My stupid costume?” he repeated. “Well, lucky for you, I did bring my stupid costume. What else do you think is in the bag?” 

He pointed to the other side of the ring, and Loki stepped around him to look over at the bag Thor had left behind on the ramp. How convenient. Had Thor brought it just to show off, or had he actually anticipated this happening? Either way, it didn’t matter. Loki was just glad that he would be able to make another fantasy come true.

“Very well,” he said, and turned his eyes to Thor, who looked ready to listen to his instructions. “Then I want you to put it on, walk down that ramp, and climb into the ring, where I will be waiting for you. Then I want you to pretend that I’m your opponent for tonight, and I want you to pick me up, slam me down, and have your way with me.”

Thor seemed surprised at that last part, and he tilted his head to the side, giving Loki a doubtful look. “You want me to wrestle you? Loki, you do realize there’s a reason they tell you not to try this at home, right?”

“But we’re not at home,” Loki pointed out, and spread his arms out, motioning to the empty arena. “We’re in a wrestling ring, and you’re a wrestler.”

“And you could hurt yourself,” Thor said. “ _I_ could hurt you. And that’s a pretty big turn off if you ask me.”

“Oh, come on, Thor. Don’t be such a worrywart,” Loki huffed, and put his hands on his shoulders, giving him an innocent look. “It’s one move. Just one. That’s all I’m asking for. You don’t have to give it all you got, I just…” He paused, and bit down on his bottom lip. “I want to be able to feel that power. You have those muscles for a reason, now show me.” 

Thor gave him a long look, and Loki hoped he was able to see how determined he was. He was not going to let this go. Even if having sex with Thor when he was in costume would be amazing on its own, he wanted to be able to feel just how strong Thor was. What was the point of dating a wrestler if he didn’t get a chance to feel that? 

Finally, Thor nodded, and let out a sigh as he backed away. “Fine,” he said. “Fine, I’ll do it. But you better not complain if your back is sore when we’re finished.” 

Loki shrugged his shoulders, and watched as Thor climbed out of the ring. He walked over to the bag and started pulling his stuff out, and Loki asked him if he happened to have any lube in there. Thor tossed him the bottle, and Loki just barely managed to catch it. 

He got down on his knees in the middle of the ring, facing away from Thor as he pulled his pants down again and poured some lube out of the bottle.

“You’re really impatient, aren’t you?” Thor said loudly, and Loki threw him a glance over his shoulder. 

“I don’t want to waste any time,” he said, shuddering as he began to prepare himself. “When you’ve got me pinned, I want you to be able to fuck me right away.” As much as he loved to have Thor’s fingers inside of him, he didn’t need it this time. He just wanted his dick. That was all. 

While they were getting ready, Thor told him what to think about when he performed his signature move, and Loki did his best to listen to his instructions, even though it was difficult when he had his own fingers inside of him. He hoped he would know what to do, though. Luckily, it would be up to Thor to pull it off, and Loki trusted him to be able to do it, even if he was working with someone who had never wrestled before.

When Thor shouted at him that he was ready a couple of minutes later, Loki decided that he was as well. He pulled his fingers out, and got his pants back on, figuring that maybe it would hurt a little less if he wasn't completely naked when Thor tried to wrestle him. As soon as he was standing up again, he turned around, smirking when he got a good look at Thor, who was now dressed in his red and blue costume. 

“What about your hair?” Loki asked. He couldn't wrestle when he still had the bun. It wouldn't look right. 

It was Thor's turn to roll his eyes, but he pulled the tie out to let his hair down, combing his fingers through it before tossing all of it over his shoulders. Now he looked a little bit more like his usual wrestler self. There was no braid, and his hair wasn't wet, but Loki supposed it would do.

“Better?” Thor asked, and Loki nodded.

“Much better. Now get over here.”

“Wait,” Thor said, and kicked the bag aside. “You wanted me to walk down the ramp, right? Well, then I’m going to need some music. You brought your phone, didn’t you?”

Loki almost rolled his eyes, but then he realized that this whole thing had been his idea, and adding some music didn't make it any sillier than it already was. There was even a chance it would look better if Thor walked down the ramp to the sound of his own entrance music. It probably would have been too quiet otherwise. 

He fished his phone out of his jacket, giving Thor a quick look before he opened the Spotify app. He searched for WWE and quickly found a playlist with all of their songs, and he scrolled down until he found Thor’s. 

“Are you ready?” he asked, and this time he did roll his eyes when he saw that Thor was all the way over by the stage. 

“I’m ready,” Thor said loudly, and gave him the thumbs up. Loki decided that he had to judge them both for this later, and pressed the button to start the song. Of course, the sound coming from his his phone couldn’t possibly compare to how loud the music usually was, but he put it down in the corner of the ring and watched as Thor stood on the stage. The place didn’t go dark, and there were no pyrotechnics, but none of that mattered to Loki. His eyes were transfixed on Thor as he started walking down the ramp, following the heavy beat of his entrance music. Loki backed into the middle of the ring, swallowing as he wondered if this was what the other wrestlers felt when they waited for Thor to come into the ring. He looked big, even from a distance. The fact that he was big also made him look intimidating, and Loki had no doubt that Thor could have had him pinned in three seconds if that was what he’d wanted. 

Finally, he jogged up the steps, and Loki shook his head when he didn’t immediately get into the ring. Instead, he made his way over to the other side and climbed up to the top rope, doing his usual pose with his fist high in the air. He couldn’t help himself, could he?

The song was still going when he jumped back down again, and he turned his eyes to Loki, who held his breath when he approached. There was a stare down, and Loki did his best to look even the sightest bit intimidating, even though he was sure most people would have laughed at the size difference. Nevertheless, he did not look away, and he steeled himself for what was about to happen. 

Thor motioned for him to come closer, and Loki took a deep breath before he rushed forward. As soon as he got close enough, Thor pretended to kick his stomach to make him stop, and he pushed his neck down, easily tucking Loki’s head between his own legs. Loki had just enough time to think about what a marvelous position he was in, before Thor had moved his big arms around his stomach and used some of that remarkable strength to flip him up. Loki remembered his instructions, and did his best to lean forward as much as possible. 

Even though he knew Thor would never drop him, it was strange to find himself on his shoulders, this time with Thor’s face pressed into his crotch, and Loki’s upper body practically draped over his head. He felt like he was really high up, and it was almost scary to think that Thor's arms, which were now wrapped around his thighs, were the only thing supporting him.

There was a beat, probably to give him time to prepare himself, before Thor pulled him forward and slammed him down. The extra second really hadn't made any difference. Nothing could have prepared him for what it felt like when his back hit the mat. He was sure Thor hadn't been using all of his strength, and yet he was struggling to breathe for a second or two. It took him a moment to realize that Thor had sat down in the process, and that he was now leaning over him, a concerned look on his face. Loki blinked, and realized he was about to ruin it. As quickly as he could, he pulled himself together, and gave him a cocky grin.

“Is that the best you’ve got?” he asked him, and the concerned look immediately disappeared from Thor’s face. His eyes darkened, and he leaned down to capture his lips in a bruising kiss, grabbing Loki’s hips so that he could roll their bodies together. 

“You’re mine now,” he growled against his lips. “I’m going to claim you, right here, right in front of all these people.” Oh. He was expanding on the fantasy? Fair enough. Loki was more than happy to play along. 

“Never,” he snapped, and moved his hands to Thor’s chest, trying to push him off, but it only took Thor about a second to pin his wrists to the mat. 

“You were saying?” The grin on his face was practically feral, and even though Loki had already come once, he knew that he was getting harder just from Thor looking at him like that. So possessive. 

Thor leaned down and nibbled on his neck, licking a stripe all the way up to his ear. 

“I will make you submit,” he whispered, and Loki had to press his lips tightly together to make sure he didn’t make any embarrassing noises. He couldn’t give in so quickly, not if he wanted to stay in character. 

Thor pulled his arms above his head, still holding his wrists down with one of his hands. He moved the other one to Loki’s pants, easily tugging them down, along with his boxer briefs. He seemed more careless than usual. Loki had told him to be rough before, but he had always been able to tell that Thor was holding himself back. Right now, he had a feeling that he wouldn't be holding himself back. The thought alone was enough to make him moan,  but that was nothing compared to the noise he made when Thor tugged his own pants down and rubbed his hard cock against his. 

“Tsk. So eager. What do you think they would say if they knew you were already ready for me?” Thor asked, and brushed a finger against his slick opening, pushing it inside to the second knuckle to make sure he was properly stretched. “You can take two fingers, can’t you?” 

“If that’s all you can give me,” Loki challenged him, forcing himself not to buck his hips up, even though he was desperate for more friction. He bit down on the inside of his lip when a second finger entered him, stretching him more but not enough. He glanced to the side, watching the still empty seats as he wondered what the fans would have been whispering to each other if they had seen this. Would they have judged him for spreading his legs so easily, or would they have understood? After all, no one could deny Thor's beauty.

"Look at me." Thor's firm voice snapped him out of his thoughts, but he didn't have time to react before Thor had pulled his fingers out and moved his hand to his chin, forcing him to meet his eyes. Loki whimpered at the sudden loss, and managed to shoot Thor an annoyed look. 

"Fuck you. If you really want to show them how easy it is for you to make me submit, why don't you just do it?"

Thor smirked, and threw a glance at the empty seats as well.

“Tell me you want it,” he said, and teased him by nudging the head of his cock against his opening, smearing pre-come between his legs. Loki was torn betwen trying to stay in character and wanting to give in and tell Thor to just fuck him already. Thor kept teasing him, pushing inside about an inch or so before he pulled back out again. “Tell me, Loki. We both know how badly you want it, but I’m not going to fuck you until you beg for it. Let them hear you.”

Loki felt his own cock twitch at Thor’s words, and he decided to hell with it. He could be stubborn some other time. Right now, he really just wanted to make this happen, imaginary crowd be damned.

“I…” He paused, and met Thor’s eyes. “I want it.”

“Want what?” Thor asked. “You can be more specific than that.” 

Loki glared at him.

“I want you to fuck me," he began, and stuck his tongue out to wet his lips. "I want you to fuck me so hard, everyone in the arena will hear it. They should all get the chance to see how incredible the famous Thor really is. Show them. The warrior, the viking, the _god_.” He had assumed that repeating what was on Thor’s shirt would have earned him enough credit, but Thor still didn’t move. Loki took a deep breath. “Please. “ _Please_ , Thor. I need you inside me.”

And that was all it took. Thor buried his cock inside of him in one long thrust, and Loki cried out, shivering at the glorious stretch that was just the right amount of painful. He tried to pull his hands up, desperate for something to hold on to, but Thor refused to let him go. His grip on his wrists tightened, and he kept their eyes locked together, slowly sliding out before thrusting back inside. 

His growing rhythm had them both crying out, and Loki locked his legs around Thor's body, urging him on by thrusting his hips up as much as he could. 

The wrestling ring wasn't particularly comfortable, and Loki hissed more than once when his bare ass rubbed against the mat, but he couldn't bring himself to care. It was difficult to focus on much other than Thor's cock, filling him up and feeling impossibly big inside of him. A particularly hard thrust had him moaning loudly and arching back, and Thor's lips curled into a smirk.

"That's it, Loki. Let them hear you." He finally pulled his hand away from his wrists, gripping his other hip instead, and Loki quickly tried to reach for his own cock. He only got to stroke himself once before Thor forced him to stop. 

"You don't get to touch yourself," he told him. "I want them to know I'm the one who's making you moan."

"Fuck," Loki muttered, and moved his hands to Thor's shoulders instead, brushing his fingers against the warm leather. "Please, I need... I want..." He wasn't even sure what he wanted. He just needed more. 

Thor pulled his hips up, and soon enough he had figured out just how to move to get a good angle they both could enjoy. Sweat pricked Loki's brow, and he shut his eyes tightly, but only for a moment. When he opened them again, Thor leaned down for another kiss, and Loki was more than eager to meet his tongue with his own. 

For a long moment, the air was filled with nothing but the ragged sound of their breathing, and the wet slap of skin on skin. Soon enough, Loki felt the familiar coil in his groin, and he knew he was getting close. He clenched his ass around Thor's cock, hoping he was getting closer as well. Thor answered with a loud groan, and he draped himself over him, pushing Loki's knees closer to his chest as he continued to slam into him. 

"Oh, fuck," Loki cursed. "Fuck, Thor. Please. Please, I just need to..."

He was so close. He just needed a little more friction, but he knew Thor probably wouldn't give it to him. Not if he wanted to stay in character. 

To his surprise, Thor gave him permission to touch himself. Loki's hand was between their bodies a second later, and he wrapped it around his cock, letting out a broken sob as he began to stroke himself. He threw his head back, and moved his arm around Thor's shoulders, trying to pull him closer. He gazed up at the balcony, imagined all of them watching him, all of them being jealous of him because he had something they would never have. 

"You're mine," Thor growled against his neck, almost as if he knew exactly what he was thinking about. "You're mine, and they can't have you. No one can. Now let them hear you come, Loki. Come for me." 

That was all he needed.

Loki's body convulsed as he finally came, and he was barely aware of the scream he let out, too focused on the surge of pleasure wracking his body. He stroked himself through it, remembering at the very last second not to let any of his come end up on Thor's costume.

Thor joined him a moment later, and Loki let out another loud moan when he filled him up with hot come. He let his legs fall to the mat, and Thor collapsed on top of him, burying his head in the crook of his neck. He stayed there for quite a long moment. Loki reached up to brush his fingers through his hair, managing a tired smile when Thor pressed a kiss to his damp skin.

When Loki began to squirm, Thor slowly pulled out and rolled over to rest next to him instead. Loki felt sore, in more than one place, and he was sure Thor would have to help him up when they had to get moving, but he didn't regret it. Not in the slightest.

“Wow,” Thor said after a couple of minutes, breaking the silence. “You know, I don’t even care if I win tomorrow. That was by far the best thing that’s going to happen this weekend.”

Loki turned to look at him, and raised an unimpressed brow. “You still better win. I didn’t come all the way over here just to watch you lose.”

Thor chuckled at that, and shook his head as he returned his gaze, reaching out to lace their fingers together. “I already feel like a winner," he said. 

Loki groaned.

“You're not going to get all corny again, are you?" he asked. He even tried to pull his hand away from him, but Thor simply dragged it to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to it.

"You know you love it."

Loki didn't respond. He simply gave him a long look, only turning his eyes away when his lips threatened to curl into a smile. 

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter. This one is about 13 000 words. I swear, it was supposed to be about... almost nothing but the Rumble, but then... What can I say? Things happened. They always do. 
> 
> The Rumble really is one of my favorite wrestling events, and I don't know if I was able to do it justice, but I hope you'll enjoy it. The real thing is just about to start. This was supposed to be posted a couple of hours ago, but... Yeah. It was longer than I thought. Clearly. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The next morning was a little strange - for a couple of different reasons. First off, he was in a hotel room with Thor yet again, which was giving him a strong sense of déjà vu. He also knew that he would be watching the Royal Rumble later that night, and he had no idea what the day would be like. Would Thor be heading to the arena without him? Would he let him come along and wait backstage until it was time for the show to start? 

Loki was hoping for option number two. He wanted to see the other wrestlers again. Besides, spending time backstage had to be more fun than spending time in the hotel room, especially if he would be on his own. 

Another strange thing about this morning was that Thor was already dressed when Loki opened his eyes. He was lying next to him on the bed, wearing grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt. As far as Loki could remember, he had definitely been naked when they went to sleep, and he wondered how long he had been up. 

“Why are you dressed?” he asked him, and Thor gave him a sheepish look. 

“Because I may have left the room while you were sleeping. I had to meet Steve and Luke at the gym, and I didn’t want to wake you.” 

“How nice of you,” Loki mumbled, and stretched his arms over his head, arching his back with a groan before he turned back to Thor. “Did you say anything about what we did yesterday?” 

“No, of course not,” Thor said, and reached up to brush his fingers against his cheek. “They don’t need to know about what happened. That was just between the two of us.”

“And a whole arena.” Loki raised his brows. 

“Of course,” Thor agreed. “And a whole arena. And they all got to hear you scream. I’m not sure how to feel about that.”

“Hopefully a little possessive,” Loki mused, and smiled when Thor rolled on top of him. 

“And here I thought you didn’t like it when I was possessive? You didn’t even want me to call you my boyfriend.”

“I changed my mind, didn’t I?” Loki pointed out. Thor was allowed to call him his boyfriend now. He was especially allowed to do it around his exes. Preferably as often as possible. 

“So,” he began, deciding to change the subject. “Who is going to win tonight?”

“Don’t start, Loki,” Thor told him, though his voice was gentle, amused. “I don’t understand why you keep asking. Don’t you want to be surprised?”

“Do I want to be disappointed when you don’t win, you mean?” Loki shook his head. “No, thank you. I’d rather know now.”

“Would someone else winning really be that terrible?” Thor asked. “I’m not the only one on that roster who deserves to win, you know.”

Loki rolled his eyes.

“Why are you always so modest?” he asked, and slipped his hands inside Thor's shirt, smiling as he brushed his fingertips against his skin. “Why can’t you just admit that you’re better than they are?” 

“Modest?” Thor asked, and gave him a surprised look, even letting out a chuckle. “You really think I’m being modest? I… Yeah, I guess I am.” He paused for a moment, and pushed himself away from Loki, sitting up on the bed and letting out a sigh before he continued. “Look, when I first came to NXT… You should have seen me back then. I was really cocky. I thought I was better than all of them, and I wasn’t afraid to let that show. But then I learned that it's good to be humble every once in a while. Actually, I think it was Bill who taught me that. He saw that I was getting too cocky. So I learned. I learned that no matter how I feel about myself, I don’t need to let everyone else know all the time.”

“So you don’t think you’re the best one?” Loki asked. Thor shook his head, and brushed the back of his hand against his thigh.

“I don’t just think it. I _know_ it. I know I’m one of the best wrestlers on that roster.”

“One of the best?”

“ _The_ best one,” Thor added, and gave him a smile. “I’m the best one they have, and I show them that every time I'm in the ring. But… and this is a big but… No matter how great I am, and I’m really fucking great… it doesn’t change the fact that there are other people who deserve that win. Steve has worked really hard this year. And he’s not the only one. And sometimes it’s not about the hard work. Sometimes they want someone else to come up or come back and shock everyone. Don’t expect anyone on the roster to win. It might not happen.”

“That doesn’t seem fair,” Loki pointed out. “Why should someone else get to come in and steal that victory from you?”

“Because life isn’t fair,” Thor said easily. “Because this company sure as hell isn’t fair. Some guys work their ass off without ever holding a championship. At least I’ve been the Intercontinental Champion. I’ve had one title. That’s more than some people.”

Loki supposed he was slowly but surely coming to accept that. He had disagreed with many of their decisions. In fact, sometimes he was left wondering if the people in charge even knew how to make a good decision. Obviously they couldn’t always give the fans what they wanted, but sometimes it was a little ridiculous. If they had any sense at all, Thor would have been crowned champion a long time ago, and it seemed like Thor knew it, even if he didn’t say it out loud. 

Once they had established that life wasn't always fair, Thor decided that it was time for breakfast. He ordered some food for the two of them - oatmeal and eggs for himself and pancakes for Loki - and they sat on the bed while finishing everything on their plates. A while later, Loki stepped into the bathroom for a long, hot shower. He was only a little disappointed when Thor didn't join him. 

“What’s going to happen today?” he asked while stepping back into the other room, a big towel wrapped around his hips. 

“Well, maybe you don't know this, but it’s time for something called the Royal Rumble tonight,” Thor said, giving him a very serious look from his place on the bed. Loki picked up one of the pillows and threw it at him, but Thor managed to catch it and smiled widely as he put it down next to him.

“Oaf,” Loki muttered. “I meant, when will you be leaving, and am I coming with you?”

“I should be leaving right after lunch,” Thor said, and glanced down at his phone, presumably to check the time. “And as much as I’d love to take you with me, there’s going to be a lot of prep for the show tonight. There’ll be a meeting. We need to go through the whole Rumble, and try to work out some of the eliminations… Basically, it’s not a good idea for you to be there. But I can send someone for you as soon as we're done. You'll get to spend some time backstage, if you want.”

“Sounds good,” Loki said, and shrugged his shoulders as he put on a dark pair of jeans. “I suppose no one would allow me into that meeting anyway. I might as well stay here.”

“Exactly,” Thor said, and nodded his head, giving him a quick smile before he stepped into the bathroom. 

Loki knelt down next to his suitcase, furrowing his brow as he began to look through it. Where was it? He kept searching, letting out a relieved sigh when he finally found it hidden at the bottom. Thor’s shirt. The one he had bought, not the one Thor had given to him. As much as he loved that shirt, he wanted to wear one that was the right size for him. He put it on and walked over to sit down on the bed, toying with the hem as he waited for Thor to come back out. 

When he did, he stopped walking as soon as his eyes fell on him and his shirt, and the loud groan that left his lips had Loki feeling incredibly smug.

“Oh, come on,” he said. “That’s not fair. How am I supposed to stop myself from devouring you when you’re wearing that?”

“You’re the one who wanted me to wear it,” Loki pointed out, trying not to smile too widely at the look on Thor’s face. “You need to wear wrestling shirts to pay-per-views. That’s what you told me.” 

Thor let out a sigh, and seemed to be muttering something about choosing his words more carefully in the future as he turned away from him.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Loki said, and Thor glanced over at him. 

“You wouldn’t mind what?”

“I wouldn’t mind if you decided to devour me.” Loki raised his brows, and threw a look at his watch. “Like you said, we still have a couple of hours left.”

“But I was going to take you out to lunch,” Thor said, but he still couldn’t stop himself from moving closer to him, and Loki smirked when he came to stand right in front of the bed. He seemed to be considering it. Loki was quickly getting impatient, but before he could tell Thor to just make a goddamn decision already, he shook his head and stepped back. 

“How about this?” he said. “No more sex today. Not until the Rumble is over. It doesn’t matter if I win or not, at least I know I’ll get to come back to this room with you.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Loki pointed out with a frown. It sounded like Thor had already come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t going to win, and he didn’t like that in the slightest. He was not going to let Thor lose. He didn’t care if he would have to get inside that ring and help him throw the last couple of people over the top rope. He would do it. Somehow. 

Just like Thor had promised, he ended up taking him out to lunch. It was a little less chilly outside, but Loki still shivered as they walked through the city and over to whatever restaurant Thor had chosen. He rubbed his hands together once they stepped inside, noticing that they were far from alone in there. When they sat down at a table in the back, he took a quick glance at the menu before asking Thor if he was nervous about being seen with him. There had to be a lot of fans in the city, after all. 

“Not at all,” Thor said, and shook his head. “It’s not like they would be able to tell it’s a date. Besides, we come here all the time, and they usually leave us alone.”

Loki gave him a long look, even as Thor turned his eyes down to the menu in front of him. It was a date? He hadn’t mentioned that it was a date. Truth be told, they hadn’t really been on any dates. They had spent most of their time together inside his apartment. They had kind of done this whole relationship thing the other way around. They’d had sex, established that they were a couple, and _now_ they were on a date. 

Luckily, it seemed like Thor had been right. No one else bothered them while they ate. The waitress who brought them their food gave Thor a smile like she knew him, but she didn’t overstay her welcome. She simply asked if he was excited about tonight, and Thor nodded his head before turning his eyes right back to Loki. 

All in all, lunch was surprisingly pleasant, and when it was over they went for a walk, Thor insisting that he would show him just a little bit of the city before it was time for them to head back to the hotel. 

“How often do you come here?” Loki asked as they made their way down the street.

“A couple of times a year,” Thor said. “It’s one of our favorite cities to wrestle in, actually. People here tend to be really… passionate.”

“So they’ll be loud tonight?”

“They should be, yeah,” Thor confirmed with a nod of his head. “Trust me, if they disapprove of the match, they’re going to let us know about it. Who knows, maybe you won’t be the only one booing tonight?”

Loki snorted at that.

On their way back to the hotel, they ran into some fans. It was a group of about ten people, all of them probably in their twenties, and they seemed incredibly excited about finding Thor on the street. Loki took a step back and watched as he posed for pictures with every single one of them, even signing a couple of things when they asked him to. 

“We’ll be rooting for you tonight,” one of them told him, and Thor smiled widely at that, thanking them before he returned to Loki’s side. 

“Does it ever get annoying?” Loki asked. 

“To meet my fans?” Thor shrugged. “No. Well, it depends, I suppose. Most of us aren't thrilled when there's a bunch of them waiting for us at the airport, but as long as I’m not three seconds away from falling asleep, I’ll pose for a picture. But meeting them like this, on the street... I'm more than happy to spend a couple of minutes with them.”

Loki nodded his head while he listened to him. It made sense. Thor certainly seemed a lot more patient than he would have been. If anyone dared to come up to him while he was in an airport just to ask for an autograph, he probably would have told that person to fuck off. Clearly, Loki was not meant to be a celebrity. He could handle clients just fine, and he knew exactly what to say to keep them wrapped around his finger, but normal people on the street? There was a big difference. 

Once they were back at the hotel, Thor decided that he still had a couple of minutes left before he needed to head to the arena, which was why he followed him back to their room. Loki sat down on the bed and began to open some emails on his phone, while Thor was busy looking through one of his bags. 

At some point, Thor’s phone - which was on the table on the other side of the room - started buzzing, and that same ringtone Loki had heard a while ago interrupted the silence. Thor rose to his feet as soon as the guy began to sing about being a sexy boy, but instead of answering the call, he actually started to dance along to the music. Loki shook his head, though he had to force himself not to smile at the way Thor moved his hips. 

“Just answer the damn thing,” he told him. “It’s not even a good song.”

Thor put his hand over his heart at that, a loud gasp escaping his parted lips. “Not a good song?” he repeated, and pressed the button to answer the call. “Tony, Loki thinks Sexy Boy is a bad song. I know. How dare he?” There was a pause. “That’s a little harsh, isn’t it? Yeah, okay. I see your point.” Thor turned his eyes to Loki.

“Tony thinks we should ban you from the arena.”

“Tony can go shove a stick up his ass,” Loki muttered, and Thor raised his eyebrows, letting out a loud laugh. He repeated what he had just said to Stark, and Loki almost wished he would have been able to hear his response. He put his phone aside and watched as Thor moved around the room while talking to Stark, mentioning that he would be there soon and to not start the meeting without him. When he finally hung up, Loki was on his stomach, slowly brushing his fingers against the sheets while doing his best to ignore Thor.

“I cannot believe you would talk to Stark for so long when you have me waiting for you on the bed.” 

“I thought I told you,” Thor said, and smiled widely as he walked closer, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his head. “No more sex until tonight. Besides, I have to leave”

Loki pressed his lips together, and turned around so that he could look up at Thor. The overly bright smile on his lips was almost contagious, but he managed to keep himself under control, gazing up at Thor with what he hoped was a neutral expression on his face. 

“You better win tonight,” he told him, and Thor let out a sigh, taking his hand in his and pressing a soft kiss to it. 

“I will try my best,” he said. 

Thor left the room just a little while later, telling him that he would send a car for him once the meeting was over. Loki was left alone, and he stayed on the bed, responding to the rest of his emails. As soon as he was done with that, he immediately got bored, and he wondered what he was supposed to be doing while waiting for Thor to call him. 

He ended up going online, trying to find out people’s predictions for tonight. It seemed like most people weren’t sure who would win. Some people guessed Thor, saying that it was his turn. Others were saying Cap, but also pointed out that his storyline with Bucky might get in the way. Luke Cage also seemed to be mentioned a lot, along with Hulk, of course. It seemed like no one could say for sure whom it would be, and they seemed strangely happy about that. Loki didn’t share that particular sentiment. He wanted to know. If Thor was indeed going to lose, _again_ , it was better to find out now. 

A little while later, Thor called him and told him the car would be waiting for him outside, and Loki grabbed his jacket and his phone before leaving the room. This time, he didn’t have a blindfold on, and he was free to look out the window as the driver made his way through the busy streets. 

Once they arrived at the arena, the car drove past the main entrance, where a couple of fans had already gathered, and over to the other side of the building. Loki left the car and spotted Thor almost immediately, who greeted him with a big smile on his face. There was some kind of security guard standing next to the door he led him over to, and he gave Loki a suspicious look before allowing him to follow Thor inside. 

There seemed to be a lot more people rushing around compared to the last time he had gone backstage, but that was probably because they were trying to get everything ready for the show. There were tables everywhere. And boxes. And so many other things Loki couldn't even identify. Basically, it looked like quite a mess. He saw a couple of wrestlers walking through the hallway as well, though some he did not recognize. 

“I really shouldn’t be bringing you back here,” Thor said, and shook his head as he glanced over at a guy Loki had never seen before, who hurried past them. “There are too many spoilers walking around.”

“I don’t even know these people,” Loki pointed out. “It’s not much of a spoiler. Besides, the only one I care about is you.”

“I’m very flattered,” Thor teased, and brought him closer so that he could press a quick kiss to his temple before letting him go again. Another wrestler Loki did not recognize - and he had to be a wrestler based on the outfit he was wearing - stared at the two of them from the other side of the hallway, and Loki was almost tempted to grab Thor’s hand just to let whoever it was know that yes, he was there with Thor, and no, Thor was not as straight as some people thought he was. Instead of doing that, he glanced up at Thor, whose jaw was clenched as he kept his gaze forward. Suddenly Loki wanted to grab his hand for an entirely different reason. 

“How many of them know?” he asked quietly, and Thor turned his eyes to him, staring at him for a couple of seconds before he finally seemed to understand what he was getting at. 

“Not many,” he said. “Like I said, I told my friends, but I think it might have spread… Some people on the main roster know, but they’re not the only ones here tonight.” He sighed, and reached out to take his hand, lacing their fingers together. “But I’m done hiding. At least behind the scenes. I don’t know if I’m ready for the fans to know, but as for the other wrestlers… Let them stare. What’s the worst they could do?”

Loki gave him a long look at that. He knew of quite a few things that could happen. Thor probably wasn’t worried about any of that, though. He certainly had a much bigger chance of being able to defend himself, and he doubted any of the other wrestlers would be brave enough to try to hurt him. Unless they all ganged up on him. But even then, Thor had friends. Bruce alone had to be enough to scare people off.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Loki said instead, and gave his hand a squeeze. Thor offered him a smile in return, and together the two of them continued to make their way through the wide, busy hallway. Loki kept looking around, trying to spot any of Thor’s friends, but he couldn’t see any of them. He did see some wrestlers he recognized, but no one he wanted to talk to. Not until they ran into Luke Cage, who was already dressed in his signature jeans and yellow t-shirt. Just like Thor, he seemed even bigger in person, but less intimidating. He had a wide smile on his face when he spotted the two of them, and he came over to greet Thor, giving him a hug and a pat on his shoulder. 

“Are you ready for tonight?” he asked, and Thor nodded his head.

“I should be. Are you?” 

“You know it,” Luke said, before turning his eyes to Loki. Thor introduce them, and Luke held his hand out, Loki giving it a quick look before shaking it. 

“So this is your first Rumble?” Luke asked, and Loki nodded his head.

“Yes, it is. I’ve heard a lot about it, though. My expectations are high.”

“As they should be.” Luke gave him another smile, and crossed his big arms over his chest. “We have one hell of a show in store for you tonight. I’m sure you’ll love it.” He gave Thor another pat on his shoulder and told him that he would hopefully see him out there, before leaving the two of them. 

“How does this work, exactly?” Loki asked when he realized he was once again confused about the rules. “You have an entrance number, so you know when you’re supposed to come in, but do you know when you’re supposed to get thrown out?”

“We do, yeah,” Thor said. “We kind of need to know, or else it would turn into chaos out there. That’s what the meeting was all about. We all need to know when we’re supposed to get eliminated, and by whom. The easiest way to do that is to remember who’s going out before you.”

“But you have to throw someone over the top rope to eliminate them, right?” Loki asked, and Thor nodded his head to confirm it. “What happens if you throw someone out by accident? What if you throw the winner out?”

“Then…” Thor trailed off, and let out a loud laugh that had some people turning their heads in their direction. “That’s a good question. You just have to try to make the best of it, I guess. Luckily, the winner has never been thrown out by accident. Not that I know of, at least. But if that were to happen, you'd probably let whoever was supposed to be the runner up win. Either way, I’m sure Fury would be… Well, furious.”

“Who?” Loki blinked. Thor gave him a surprised look. 

“Wait, you… you don’t know who he is?” He frowned. “I… guess he hasn’t been on the air in a long time. Still, he’s the executive vice president. He’s a pretty big deal around here.”

“Well, maybe if he was on the show more often, I would know about him,” Loki pointed out with a sour look on his face.

“I thought you'd looked stuff up online?” Thor teased, nudging his arm.

“Stuff about you, yes,” Loki said. “Not about anyone else.”

Thor let out another laugh at that, and put his arm around his shoulders, leading him to the end of the hallway and to the left. Eventually, they reached something that looked like a relatively small cafeteria. There was food on one side of the room, and as the smell hit him Loki realized that lunch felt like ages ago. There were a couple of people already in there, and his eyes immediately found Steve and Natasha, who seemed to be dressed in their ring gear, except that both of them had opted to wear similar looking hoodies. Presumably because they didn't want to be cold. They were sitting at one of the white tables, but they weren't alone. Hawkeye was also there. 

Loki frowned. Wasn’t he injured? It seemed like he was. There was a pair of crutches leaning against the back of his chair, and Loki assumed he wasn’t about to compete in the match. Maybe he was just there to watch? 

“Look who’s finally decided to show up,” Hawkeye said as soon as he caught sight of them, and Loki glanced over at Thor, who had a huge grin on his face.

“You’re one to talk,” he said, and walked around the table until he reached Hawkeye, leaning down to pat him on the back. “How are you?”

“Oh, you know,” Hawkeye shrugged his shoulders, and offered him a smile. “I’ve been better. But I’ll be back soon, and then the three of you better watch out. Yes, even you,” he added when Natasha gave him an unimpressed look. “Just watch, I’ll be going for the Diva’s Championship. I think it would look good on me.”

“I have to agree,” Thor said, and gave him another pat before walking back to Loki, who had stayed in the same spot Thor had left him in. “And there’s someone I’d like you to meet. This is Loki.”

“The boyfriend,” Hawkeye nodded along. “Yes, I can see why you would like him.” Both Steve and Natasha turned to look at him, and Clint raised his eyebrows. “What? No, I didn’t mean… I wasn’t saying that _I_  find him attractive. No offense.” He gave Loki a look. “I just meant that I can see why _Thor_ likes him.” 

“Thank you?” Loki said, and turned confused eyes to Thor, whose lips curled into a small smile. 

“And this is Clint,” he said. “He’s injured, as you know, and will not be competing today. I think that’s why he’s being so cheerful. He’s trying to make up for the fact that he really just wants to cry.”

“I have to cheer myself up somehow, don’t I?” Clint asked, and gestured for the two of them to sit down. They did, and of course it didn’t take long before Loki was asked if this was his first Royal Rumble. He confirmed that it was, and Clint told him that he had to be excited. Even he was excited, and he wouldn't get to participate. 

“Do you know who wins?” Loki asked once they all had some food in front of them. He couldn’t help but notice that the rest of them were all eating quite a lot in compared to him. Cap and Thor in particular, of course. 

“Nope,” Clint shook his head, and sighed dramatically before taking a sip of his water. “I wasn’t allowed to attend the meeting, and these guys refuse to tell me. But I guess it’s better that way. More exciting.” 

So he couldn’t bribe him into sharing the information with him. Damn. Perhaps he could find some innocent referee and slip him a bill? 

“Then who do you think will win?” 

“I don’t know. I honestly can’t tell this year. But I’d say these two have a pretty good shot at it.” He waved his bottle at Steve and Thor, and the two of them turned their heads to give each other a look, before they both started smiling. 

“See? Right there. What is that? Those mysterious smiles are just obnoxious.” 

“You want me to get it out of them?” Natasha asked, and waved her knife in front of her face. “I think I could do it.” 

“Give it a shot,” Clint said, and Steve was just putting his hands up in case he needed to defend himself when they were interrupted.

“Well, well, well, I thought I heard some familiar voices.”

Stark.

They all turned their heads to look at him. He was dressed in an expensive looking black suit, and was just in the process of removing his sunglasses while approaching the table. 

“You know, the most interesting thing happened to me yesterday,” he began, and slipped his hands into his pockets. “I got here a little earlier because I had to… It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that I heard some very strange… noises.” He’d gone around the table, and finally stopped next to Clint. “I’m telling you, you would not believe the sight that greeted me when I followed those noises.” 

Loki could feel Thor stiffening next to him, and Loki didn’t even need to look at him to know that he was probably glaring at Stark. Loki certainly was. He even gritted his teeth, wondering if now would be a good time to slap the guy.

“But that’s okay. I can make you believe it. See, I took some pictures...” Stark pulled his phone out of his pocket, smiling while he tapped his finger against it. When he found what he’d been looking for, he flipped his phone and watched it with a grin on his face. “It’s amazing what kind of quality pictures you can get with this thing. I didn’t even have to get that close.” 

“Let me see,” Clint said, and Stark handed the phone over to him. Clint held it in his hands for a long moment, and squinted as he moved it closer to his eyes. “Whoa. What the… Is that?” He tilted his head back up again, and stared over at Thor and Loki. “Are you serious? In the ring? People will be wrestling in there, man.” 

Loki glanced over at Natasha and Steve. They both seemed to have realized what kind of pictures Stark had on his phone, but neither one of them asked him to show them as well. Natasha was shaking her head, and Steve definitely looked like he disapproved of the conversation they were having.

Before he had time to turn his eyes back to Thor, he had shot up from his seat, and it was with such a force that his chair almost fell backwards. 

“Give me that phone, Stark,” he said, his voice firm. It sent a shiver down Loki’s spine, and he watched with barely contained glee as Thor marched around the table and over to Stark, who quickly took the phone away from Clint and hid it behind his back. 

“You better delete those pictures right now, you hear me?” Most people probably would have been intimidated by Thor. He was bigger than Stark, and he seemed really angry. In fact, Loki had never seen him like this before, and he briefly wondered if anyone else at the table would notice if he started palming himself through his pants. 

“They’re not that bad, trust me,” Stark said, surprisingly cocky for someone who was standing face to face with a man who easily could have kicked his ass. “Maybe you would like to see for yourself? I could send them to you, like a souvenir. A happy memory the two of you could-”

"You're the one who helped me set the whole thing up!" Thor snapped at him, and Loki raised his brows. "You knew we would be in there, why didn't you leave us alone?"

"What's the fun in that?" Stark asked, and looked over at the other three as if he expected them to agree with him, but they all ignored him. "You know what? They're on my phone, and if you-" Once again, Stark didn't get to finish. Thor grabbed his tie and pulled him closer, and Loki felt like a giddy little child when he realised how big Thor really was in comparison to Stark. 

“I don’t think you heard me,” Thor said through gritted teeth. The rest of his friends all looked a little surprised by the scene playing out in front of them. Loki was the only one with a smile on his face. “You better delete those fucking pictures right now, Stark, or I swear, I’ll…”

“Okay,” Stark said, and put one of his hands up, waiting for Thor to let him go. “Calm down, big guy. It’s fine. It’s not like I was going to keep them.” He took a step away from Thor, and pressed a couple of buttons, presumably deleting the pictures of them. Loki continued to watch for a couple of seconds before he slipped out of his chair, just as Stark held the phone up to show Thor.

“See? They’re all gone.” 

Loki hurried past Thor and reached out to snatch the phone out of Stark’s grip. 

“Hey!” Stark said, but Loki stepped away from him and scrolled through his pictures, seeing ones of Stark and his friends, some women Loki didn’t recognize, and some of other wrestlers. But no pictures of Thor and him having sex in the ring. 

“They’re not here,” Loki confirmed, and walked back to the other two, but instead of handing the phone over to Stark, he gave it to Thor. Thor scrolled through it as well, before nodding his head. 

“Good,” he said, and shoved the phone at Stark’s chest before walking back to his seat. Stark met Loki’s eyes, and Loki pressed his lips together, but failed to look anything other than incredibly excited about this whole thing. He slowly returned to his own seat, and reached out to put a hand on Thor’s arm. 

"I have never been quite as turned on by you as I am right now," he whispered, and Thor slowly turned his eyes to him, the look on his face softening considerably. He even gave him a smile, and Loki pressed  a kiss to his clothed shoulder, happy that he had been able to calm him down.

“Don’t worry about him,” he said, loud enough for Stark to hear. “I’m sure he’s just jealous because he doesn’t get to have sex in the ring anymore.”

“Just as long as you guys made sure to clean up after yourselves,” Steve said. “Clint’s right, we’ll all be wrestling in that ring.”

Stark sat down next to Clint as soon as the conversation turned back to other things, the way he was glancing over at them the only indication that the previous moment had had any kind of effect on him. While the rest of them talked, Thor’s hand eventually found its way to Loki’s thigh, and Loki let his own hand rest over Thor’s. Eventually, the time came for Thor to get changed, and he asked him if he wanted to join him or if he wanted to stay with his friends. Loki decided to come with him, but not before telling Stark to stay away from the ring tonight. 

“I’m making no promises,” Stark told him, and Loki glared at him before saying goodbye to the other three. 

Thor led him over to one of the empty locker rooms, and Loki got to sit down and watch as he changed into his wrestling gear. When he was finished, he informed Loki that they would have to go to hair and makeup so that they could fix his braid, and Loki stood up, once again following him through the big hallways. 

When they reached the right room, Loki’s shoulders immediately stiffened. There were already three Divas in there, sitting in chairs in front of the mirrors while fixing their makeup. Emma, Mystique, and Karnilla. Oh, joy. Thor had slept with two of those women. Loki clenched his hands into fists, and he felt something tugging at his chest when all three of them turned their heads and actually smiled at Thor. 

“And here comes the biggest Diva of them all,” Mystique said. “We were just wondering when you would show up.”

They didn’t even notice him. Loki felt one hundred percent invisible as he stepped into the room. They didn’t look at him. Not even a glance. All of them kept their eyes on Thor, and Loki wondered if it was possible to hate someone and have feelings for them at the same time. The more logical side of him pointed out that Thor couldn’t help it if people tended to fall for him, but that side was quickly silenced. It felt like a huge, heavy rock had settled into the pit of his stomach, and there was nothing he could do to get rid of it. 

Thor smiled back at them, and for a moment it seemed like he had actually forgotten about him. 

“Well, here I am,” he said. “You’re not the only ones who need your hair fixed. But I think I’ll skip the lipstick tonight.”

“That’s such a shame,” Karnilla said. “I think a nice red shade would look really good on you.” 

Thor shook his head at that, and went over to sit down in one of the chairs. Only then did he seem to remember that he still had Loki with him, and he turned around to look at him, beckoning him to come closer. Loki didn’t want to. He felt like it was getting difficult to breathe. He was such a fool. Why would Thor ever choose him when he could have any of them? 

Suddenly, Loki felt ridiculous for wearing Thor’s shirt underneath his jacket, and he hoped none of them could see it. He even dragged the zipper all the way up before he stepped closer to Thor, keeping guarded eyes on the other three. 

“And who’s this?” Mystique asked, finally turning to look at him. 

“This is Loki,” Thor said, and spun his chair around so that he could put his arm around his waist. It should have been a comfort, but it barely did anything to soothe the anger that was building up inside of him, and Loki gritted his teeth when Thor stopped at his name. 

“His boyfriend,” Loki added, and everyone in the room turned their eyes to him. If looks could kill, all three women would have fallen out of their chairs by now.

“That’s right,” Thor confirmed with a smile. “He’s my boyfriend.” 

There were no words of encouragement. No one telling him how great that was. One of the women who worked there simply came up and asked Thor if he was ready for his braid, and Thor had to let go of Loki to give her enough space to do her job. The other three exchanged looks, and Loki kept his eyes on them, watching them the whole time as if they were about to pounce on Thor at any moment. They didn’t, though. They talked amongst themselves, but it was all about the show, and nothing about him and Thor. 

It didn’t take long for Thor’s hair to be finished, and he smiled at the others in the room before he picked up a black spray bottle from one of the tables. 

“I’ll see you guys later,” he said, and turned around, putting his arm back around Loki’s waist and leading him out of there. “Sorry about that,” he said as soon as they were out of earshot. “I didn’t realize they would be in there.”

“It’s fine,” Loki said, and shrugged his shoulders, feeling like he could finally breathe again. 

“So,” Thor began, and gave him a smile. “I’m your boyfriend, huh?”

“Shut up,” Loki told him. 

As it turned out, it was only about an hour left before the show would start, and it was time for them to go their separate ways. Thor still had some things he needed to do to get ready, and it would be easier if he wasn’t around. 

“I’ll see you out there,” he said once they were standing in front of the door that would take him away from the backstage area. 

“You better win this,” Loki said, and poked his chest. Thor nodded his head, though the smile on his face seemed forced, almost… bitter? He quickly covered it up by giving him a much brighter grin, and Loki’s heart fell in his chest when he leaned closer. 

“A kiss for good luck?” Thor asked, and Loki waited a couple of seconds, studying his face, before he moved his hands to his shoulders and pulled him down. Their lips met, and Loki clung to Thor almost desperately, not sure if it was seeing Thor’s exes or the prospect of him losing yet another important match that had him wrapping his arms around his neck and holding on to him until the need for air became crucial. 

When they pulled back, Thor slowly opened his eyes to look at him, and Loki could have sworn he was about to say something. It looked like there were something important just waiting to slip past those pink lips, but in the end he simply gave him another smile. 

“See you in a while,” he said. “And have fun tonight, okay?” Loki nodded his head, and watched as Thor opened the door for him. He gave him one last smile before letting him go, and as soon as he was out the door Loki quickly joined the other fans who were making their way through the building. 

Loki did not waste any time. He headed straight down the stairs and over to his seat. Just like Thor had shown him, he was supposed to be in the third row, very close to the ring, and he glanced down at his ticket to make sure he had the right number before sitting down. He pulled his jacket off and fished his phone out of his pocket, checking the time with a sigh. Still forty five minutes left. But there was going to be a match on the pre-show, so at least he would have something to look at. 

“You’re a Thor fan?” someone asked him, and Loki turned his head to the left, raising his eyebrows at the guy sitting next to him. He was wearing the very same Thor shirt, and Loki had to force himself not to groan out loud. 

“I might be,” he said, and turned his eyes back to the ring, trying not to smile when he remembered what Thor and he had been doing in there.

“What’s your favorite match?” 

Loki gave the guy another quick look, taking in the blue eyes and the blond hair. It was short, but Loki couldn’t help but wonder if he wanted to look like Thor. Either way, he was far from the right size.

“I don’t have one,” he said. The guy gave him a surprised look.

“You’re wearing his shirt but you don’t have a favorite match? What kind of fan are you?” He narrowed his eyes at him. “How long have you been watching wrestling?”

“A couple of months,” Loki replied, and the guy snorted. He turned to someone who had to be his friend, and the two of them seemed to roll their eyes at each other. 

“Is there something wrong with that?” Loki couldn’t help but ask, and the guy turned back to him.

“Well, it’s not like you’re a real fan. Come on, can you even name his finisher?” 

Loki gave him another long look. He had experienced his finisher. Did that count? He had experienced his finisher in the very ring they were supposed to be watching tonight. 

“No, I cannot. But believe me, I am a much bigger fan than you ever will be,” Loki said, a smirk making its way onto his lips. The guy gave him a strange look, and shook his head before turning away from him, back to his friend, and Loki took a couple of seconds to mourn the fact that Stark had deleted those pictures. That probably would have shut him up.

One boring, pretty much useless pre-show match later, it was finally time for the actual pay-per-view to begin. Of course, Loki didn't really care about the first couple of matches. Even though a lot of them were pretty solid, he could tell that the crowd was mostly just waiting for the Rumble. The best one out of those matches was admittedly Sif vs. Mystique, but Sif lost. Loki wasn’t sure whether to be happy about that or not. He didn’t like Sif that much, but she was obviously a great wrestler. Even he had to admit that. 

Before the Rumble could start, though, they were treated to a shot backstage. There seemed to be something important going on, and a cameraman was hurrying through the darkness while someone was shouting for a medic. That someone turned out to be Stark. He was kneeling down next to Hulk, who was on the floor, seemingly having passed out. His eyes were closed, and something that looked an awful lot like blood was dripping down his forehead.

“Who did this?” Stark shouted loudly. “How is he supposed to compete now?”

Loki heard a couple of shouts in the audience, and he wondered if this meant Hulk wouldn’t be entering the Rumble. Would he finally be free of him? Once the medic came running, they cut back to the announcers table, and Loki crossed his fingers, hoping this meant that Hulk would be out of it for the rest of the night.

Finally, it was time for the thing they had all been waiting for. They were treated to a video which showed them a little bit about the history of the Rumble, and as soon as that was over the audience was slowly but surely getting to their feet. Loki stood up as well, and watched as one of the ring announcers entered the ring. After having climbed in and almost tripped the previous day, he had to admire her for being able to do it in heels and a tight, short dress.

“The following is the Royal Rumble match,” she announced, and the audience began to cheer, the ones with signs holding them up. “In this match, the first two Superstars who drew number one and number two will start the match. Every ninety seconds another participant will join in. This will continue until all thirty Superstars are in the ring. Eliminations occur when a Superstar is thrown over the top rope with both feet landing on the floor. The last man in the ring, will be declared the Royal Rumble winner, and will advance to the main event at Wrestlemania!” The audience cheered again, and Loki barely had time to realize what was going on before Deadpool’s music came on. He was introduced to the audience as he walked down the ramp, blowing kisses to the people standing closest to it. Once he was in the ring, the place was silent for a couple of seconds before the next person’s music hit. Rhodes came out, and Loki couldn’t help but let out a relieved sigh. As much as he wanted to see Thor, he didn’t want him to come out this early. The longer he stayed away, the better. 

The two of them went at it as soon as the match started, wasting no time before trying to push each other closer to the ropes. The crowd sat back down again, and Loki tapped his fingers against his knees, wondering how long he would have to wait for Thor. 

Neither one of them managed to eliminate the other. There were some close calls, but they always managed to crawl back inside. Soon enough, the crowd was getting to their feet, just as a huge timer showed up on the jumbotron. Together, the audience counted down from ten until the signal went off and someone else’s music started up. And Loki had no idea who this person was. But it seemed like the people around him did, because they cheered so loudly he almost had to put his hands over his ears. After throwing a look at the guy next to him, he turned his eyes to the screens, which was showing the name Drax. 

The man walking down the ramp was bald, with a pair of pretty big arms, and the other two looked a little concerned. Once Drax had climbed inside, he wasted no time trying to deal with them. And for someone who had looked so serious walking out there, he seemed to be having a lot of fun with it. He even laughed as he pushed both of them into the same corner, and the audience chanted his name enthusiastically. Deadpool was the first to get thrown over the top rope, but Rhodes joined him just a couple of seconds later. Most of the crowd was standing up, chanting for Drax as he walked around the ring, roaring loudly while watching the timer. Crossbones was the next to come out, and Drax shook the ropes as he shouted at him to get inside the ring. 

The next couple of minutes were intense. And Loki had to admit, it was actually quite a lot of fun to watch. Every time the timer began to count down from ten, he found himself standing up along with the rest of the audience, holding his breath as he waited to find out who would be coming out next. Soon enough, they were on number ten, five wrestlers were in the ring, and none of them were Thor. Eleven came out soon enough, and then twelve. At thirteen, the cheering from the audience was extra loud, and since Loki didn’t recognize who came out, he assumed it was a return. He certainly looked a little older than the other wrestlers. Someone named Baron Strucker. Once fourteen came out, he was beginning to wonder how much longer he would have to wait.

He was incredibly torn as he watched the seconds counting down. While he was there for Thor, and while he wanted to see him eliminate as many people as possible, it was better for him to stay away. In fact, there was a small part of Loki that was hoping he would be the last one out. Obviously that would mean he wouldn’t get to see a lot of him, but it would also mean that he had a better chance at winning this whole thing. 

When the timer came back on, it was time for number fifteen. They were halfway through the match. The audience stood up again, and Loki tilted his head to the side, hoping but at the same time not hoping, that it would be Thor. But it wasn’t Thor. Captain America’s powerful music came on, and the audience screamed loudly as he came out on stage. Loki wasn’t one of them, though he had to admit it would be exciting to watch him. Cap ran down the ramp and got inside the ring, and the other wrestlers immediately turned on him, most of them probably considering him a huge threat. It didn’t take long before Cap had eliminated Strucker, and he was just turning around when Drax came running, clearly intent on pushing him out of there. The audience screamed as Cap went over the top rope, but he somehow managed to hold on, and his feet never touched the ground. Instead, he rolled back inside, and the fight was on. 

Number sixteen was Doom, and number seventeen was Iron Fist. There were quite a few people in the ring at this point, and Loki found it difficult to keep track of whom to watch. Luckily, the jumbotron was there to give him a clue, but no one seemed to be able to eliminate anyone. This went on until the counter came back on again, and Loki slowly got to his feet, keeping his eyes on the stage while the audience counted down the seconds.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…” This went on until it finally reached zero. The signal was heard, there was about a one second wait, and then the music came on. And Loki couldn’t stop himself from letting out a loud gasp. It was Thor. Finally. He slowly walked out on stage, waiting there for a moment as the audience cheered louder than ever. The other wrestlers turned their eyes to him, and Cap was the only one who didn’t look troubled. 

The cameraman managed to get a glimpse of the small smirk on Thor’s lips, and then he was running, making his way down the ramp and into the ring. Since Loki was sitting so close, he didn’t care about watching the jumbotron. He kept his eyes on Thor as he immediately rushed forward and used his arm to push Doom - who had been trying to eliminate Cap - out of the ring. Doom fell to the floor, and Loki’s lips curled into a grin. He had a feeling that was simply the first of many. 

Cap and Thor gave each other a look and a nod before heading in different directions of the ring. Thor eliminated Iron Fist a couple of seconds later, and the audience started chanting again when he hit the floor. Quickly, the number of people in the ring grew smaller, and soon Cap, Thor, and Drax were the only ones left. Thor and Cap were standing by the ropes, while Drax tried to keep his eyes on both of them. He ended up going for Thor, but Thor kicked him in the stomach and pulled his head in between his legs. Everyone knew what was about to happen next, including Loki, and he had to smile when Thor did his finisher. Drax was slammed onto his back, but Thor didn't give him any time to rest before pulling him back up again. Cap and he gave each other another nod, and then he used his grip on his arm to toss him against the ropes, where Cap quickly used his own weight to pull down the top one, leaving Drax to stumble over it to the outside of the ring. 

As so, Cap and Thor were the only ones left, and they slowly turned their eyes to each other. The timer came back on, and instead of fighting each other they both stepped closer to the ropes, waiting for their next opponent to come out. When the timer came to a stop, Loki realized he once again did not recognize the music, but Thor and Cap seemed to realize exactly who was coming. 

Rhino was the name lighting up the jumbotron this time, and when he walked out on stage Loki could understand why they weren’t particularly happy about this. The guy was big. Not as big as Hulk, but big nonetheless. He was also bald, was wearing grey tights, and this had to be a return or possibly a debut because Loki had obviously never seen him before. As soon as he had climbed into the ring, Thor and Cap were on him, but he managed to push them both off, and when the timer came back, he was still in the ring. Loki hoped that this next one would be someone like Luke Cage or maybe Falcon. Someone who would want to help them. Alas, Vision was the next one out, and Thor and Cap were forced to split up. Thor continued to fight Rhino while Cap tried to go after Vision. Once again there were a couple of close calls, but Thor managed to stay in the ring, and Loki tried to get his heart to stop beating so fast. 

When the audience started counting again, Loki begrudgingly got to his feet. The one thing he cared about was Hulk staying as far away from the ring as possible. As for the other wrestlers, the only one that mattered to him was already in the ring, which was why he kept his eyes on it, watching as Thor tried to push Rhino against the ropes. 

The signal was heard, and a second later the music started. Once again, Loki did not recognize it. That wasn’t the odd thing, though. The odd thing was that no one else seemed to recognize it either. All of the wrestlers turned confused eyes to the stage, and the audience was suspiciously quiet while they waited for someone to come out. And when that someone finally did step out, the place almost seemed to explode.

It was Bucky. Or Winter Soldier, or whatever they were calling him now. He slowly walked out on stage, his mask and goggles in place. Cap dragged himself out of Vision’s grasp and moved closer to the ropes, a shocked expression on his face. The audience grew even louder as soon as Bucky started running, and the second he was in the ring he made sure to tackle Cap. The other wrestlers kind of just left them to it, and Bucky wasted no time before pushing Cap into a corner. 

While they were fighting, Cap’s moves seemed less aggressive than usual. Bucky screamed something at him, but Loki could barely hear it. The crowd was too loud. Meanwhile, Thor was on his own on the other side of the ring, trying to fight both Vision and Rhino at the same time. Loki wasn’t sure who to watch. The story between Cap and Bucky was interesting, but he cared more about Thor winning this match. 

He ended up glancing from one side of the ring to the other, almost as if he was watching a tennis match. Finally, Thor managed to get control over the other two, and he pushed Vision away from himself before focusing on Rhino. The audience gasped in unison when he actually lifted him over his shoulders, and they cheered loudly a second later when he threw him over the top rope. Rhino shouted angrily at him from the floor, and Thor grinned down at him, sticking his head out between the ropes. Loki could see Vision getting up again, and he wanted to scream at Thor to turn around. Nothing good could ever come from not paying attention when he was standing so close to the ropes. Before he knew it, Vision was running forward, and Loki’s eyes widened. 

For a moment, it was almost as if everything was happening in slow motion. Thor was just about to turn around when Vision stretched his arms out and pushed him, and Thor fell forward. He landed just outside of the ropes, and for half a second it looked like he would have time to grab one and keep himself up, but then he tumbled down to the outside of the ring, and Loki’s heart fell at the same time as Thor’s back hit the floor.

It was over. A big part of the audience, mostly children from the sound of it, screamed angrily, and Loki shook his head, clenching his hands into fists as he stood up. Thor was still on the floor, and Vision slowly stood back up again, a bitter look on his face as he watched him. The commentators seemed to shout loudly about something, but Loki wasn’t paying attention to them. In fact, he wasn’t paying attention to anything other than Thor until the guy sitting next to him nudged his leg. 

“He’s not eliminated, you idiot.” Loki twirled around, and was just about to curse or scream at him when he realized what he had just said. “He didn’t go over the top rope. He just went over the second one. He’s still in the match.” 

Oh. So he could just go right back in? Loki turned his eyes back to Thor, ignoring the countdown this time. Number twenty two turned out to be someone else he did not recognize. Someone called Blade. Loki spared him only the quickest of glances. Now, Loki wasn’t entirely sure about the rules here, but if Thor was outside of the ring, but not eliminated, couldn’t he just stay there until all but one were gone? It didn’t seem like any of the referees, who were standing next to the ring, were in a rush to get him back inside. He supposed it wasn’t like Thor to take the coward’s way out, though. It was rather something he would have done. 

For now, Thor was still on the ground, and Loki figured it was safe to turn his attention back to Cap and Bucky, who were still going at it. Cap seemed to have realized he needed to fight back. He seemed to be having the upper hand, but when he tried to push him over, Bucky was stubbornly holding on to the ropes and refused to let go. Cap pulled away from him, and waited no more than a second before he jumped up, delivering a kick to Bucky's chest that had him falling to the floor. The audience seemed shocked as Bucky turned furious eyes to Cap. 

“I’m sorry!” Cap shouted. “You know I had to!” He turned away from him, and was immediately attacked by Vision. Bucky shook his head and pushed himself back up again, but he didn’t go back up the ramp. Instead he climbed up to the outside of the ropes, and as soon as Vision had pushed Cap over to him, he wrapped an arm around his front, whispering something into his ear before he dragged him over the rope. Once again, the audience seemed shocked, and even Loki's eyes widened as soon as Cap hit the floor. Cap looked up at Bucky, who jumped down and used his foot on his chest to keep him pinned to the ground before walking away from there.

Loki wasn’t sure what had just happened. Was Cap eliminated? Could someone who had already been eliminated eliminate someone else? That didn’t seem fair. But it looked to be true, because Cap stood up just as the timer turned back on, and he didn’t climb back inside the ring. Instead, he made his way back to the stage, and he got there just in time for Falcon to come out. Falcon gave his shoulder a squeeze and the two of them shared a look before Cap left.  Loki quickly turned his eyes back to Thor, who had finally gotten back into the match. 

After the next three wrestlers had come out, there were suddenly quite a lot of people in the ring again, and Loki was trying his best to keep his eyes on Thor. The fact that Hulk still hadn’t shown up was maddening to say the least. He didn’t know if it was a good thing or not. If it meant he wouldn’t compete, he was thrilled, but if it meant he would be one of the last ones to come out, he was scared. When the countdown started up again, and they all waited for number twenty seven to come out, Loki held his breath. But it wasn’t Hulk. It was Luke Cage, and he let out a relieved sigh. Maybe he could help Thor? Not that Thor needed anyone’s help, but it was better to have someone out there who would be on his side. 

Luke eliminated two people after just a couple of seconds, and then of course two more were added to the match before it was time for the final competitor. Of course, everyone in the audience knew exactly who was missing when the timer came back on. Hulk still hadn’t entered the match, and they were about to find out if he had actually been taken out or not. It was time to stand back up again, and Loki held his breath once more, hoping against all hope that the person who came out would not be--

But of course it was.

The Hulk’s music came on, and Loki closed his eyes, tilting his head down because he wasn’t sure he wanted to see this. Still, he opened them again a couple of seconds later, only to notice that the wrestlers in the ring seemed to be having a similar reaction. None of them looked happy about Hulk being there. They had all stopped fighting, too busy watching the stage to care about each other. Hulk stood there, an almost evil grin on his face as he watched them. Of course, Stark joined him a moment later, clutching the Money in the Bank briefcase to his chest. He laughed loud enough for it to reach Loki’s ears, and he shook his head, slowly sitting back down again. 

As soon as Hulk climbed into the ring, Thor, Cage, and Falcon all tried to go for him. Thor and Cage may have been big, but Hulk managed to fight them off. Falcon was the first to go, being thrown almost needlessly far away from the ring. 

Stark looked like his usual smug self while patrolling around the ring, and Loki couldn’t help but keep his eyes on him, knowing that he could very well stoop to some dirty trick.

Once again, the number of people inside the ring was getting smaller and smaller. Soon enough, Hulk had thrown out most of them, and Thor and Cage were the only ones left. The three of them stared at each other, and the tension inside the arena seemed to thicken considerably. They only had three people left, and the scariest part - at least according to Loki - was that he could see any of them as the winner. 

After a quick glance at each other, Thor and Cage rushed forward at the same time, both of them trying to force Hulk closer to the ropes. He let out a loud roar and tried to make them stop, pushing them both away from himself. He pulled Thor into the corner when he tried again, and wrapped his arms around Cage's middle, easily flipping him over his shoulders. One suplex later and Cage was on his back, groaning in pain. Thor was leaning against the ropes onthe other side of the ring, looking tired and weary. He’d been in there for a long time. A lot onger than Hulk. And Cage too, for that matter. There was a chance he was running out of energy. Loki gave him a worried look, trying to urge him on even though there was nothing he could do. 

Luckily, Hulk seemed to be focusing on Cage at the moment. He delivered another suplex, slamming him down on the mat, and then another one after that. Cage barely put up a fight when he got him onto his shoulders, and a big part of the audience got onto their feet when he walked closer to the ropes. Cage grabbed onto the top one, and he tried so hard to hold on to it, but then Stark showed up and grabbed his leg. The audience booed as he pulled on it, but together the two of them managed to get him out. Once that was done, Stark hurried over to the other side of the ring, yelling at the referee to get Luke out of there. 

Hulk turned around and faced Thor, who was getting back up again, clearly not willing to go down without a fight. Loki could hear a chant coming on, and he was relieved to hear that a huge part of the audience was chanting for Thor. As they should have been.

The two of them delivered some heavy punches, seemingly not caring about throwing the other one over any ropes, not until Hulk forced Thor backwards and used his arm to push him out. 

Loki let out a gasp, putting one of his hands over his mouth as he watched. Thor had managed to grab onto the ropes at the last second, but one of his feet had touched the floor. That wasn't enough for him to be out, though, and the other two quickly seemed to realize as much. 

“Come on!” Stark shouted loudly, ignoring the booing coming his way when he grabbed one of Thor's legs. “We need to get him out!” 

Loki was about three second away from joining the booing. He wished someone would come out there and help, but Thor seemed to be on his own. He was not letting go of those ropes, and there was a loud cheer when he managed to get his feet up enough to kick Stark away from him. Stark stumbled back a little bit, but it only took him a second to recover before he headed forward again. Meanwhile, Thor managed to get his feet onto the mat, and he somehow found the strength to slide underneath Hulk’s legs back into the ring. 

He immediately got to his feet and wrapped his arms around Hulk, who was already leaning heavily on the ropes. It didn’t take much for Thor to get him over, and he gave him one last push, everyone watching as he landed on his back of top of Stark, who let out a loud groan when he was crushed beneath him.

There was a beat, as if the people had to take a moment to realize what had happened, but the cheer that followed that beat was loud, louder than anything Loki had heard that night. 

Thor took a couple of steps back from the ropes, his eyes wide as he looked around, almost as if he expected someone else to be in there with him. But he was alone. All alone. As soon as the realization dawned on him, a huge smile broke out on his face, and Loki couldn’t help but mirror it.

He had done it. Thor had actually done it! The audience kept chanting his name, and Loki clapped his hands together, still trying to figure out whether this was actually happening or not. Thor’s music started playing, and he rushed forward and climbed onto the top rope, shouting at Hulk and Stark, but Loki couldn’t hear what he was saying. They looked like they wanted to get back into the ring and attack him together, but the referees forced them away from there. Thor held up his fist, and the audience screamed. 

He seemed to be turning his eyes to Loki, and Loki did nothing to hide the smile on his face, or how excited he was. Perhaps it was simply his imagination, but the smile on Thor’s face seemed to widen when he looked at him. It lasted for no more than a couple of seconds, though, and then he pointed over at the Wrestlemania sign that was hanging from the ceiling, shouting something else that was almost impossible to hear over the loud crowd and the equally loud music. 

The show was officially over, but it didn’t seem like Thor was in any hurry to leave the ring. While some fans had already abandoned their seats, a lot of them were staying behind, and as Loki looked around the arena, it seemed like most of them were happy for him. Some people were applauding, some were jumping up and down, and some were screaming loudly. As he turned his eyes back to Thor, who looked so happy, he swelled with pride. Wow. He had really done it. It was still hard to believe. In fact, there was a part of Loki that was convinced he was dreaming, and that he was about to wake up at any second. The other part wanted to run past the two rows in front of him, jump over the barricade, and get into the ring so that he could give Thor the victory kiss he deserved. 

Thor had just gotten back down from posing on the top rope a second time when Loki realized that people were turning their eyes to the stage, and of course he looked over as well, only to spot Cap, Natasha, Luke Cage, and even Clint coming out there. They all had to help Clint inside the ring, and the audience seemed happy to see them all together as they proceeded to embrace Thor. Steve grabbed his arm and held it up into the air, and Thor smiled widely as soon as the crowd began to chant “Wrestlemania!” over and over again. Thor managed to get a microphone, and he smiled widely when they began to chant his name again. He chuckled, shaking his head and waiting a couple of seconds before he attempted to speak. 

“Thank you!” he said loudly, and the audience responded by cheering even louder. “I could never have done this without your support. And that goes for my friends as well. I know Wrestlemania is going to be a tough fight, but I am ready for it. Thanos better watch out, because in just two months, I will be the next WWE World Heavyweight Champion!” Loki had to join the applause when he shouted those last couple of words, and he shook his head, wishing he had been in the ring with them so that he could have called Thor an oaf. 

The crowd continued to chant for some time. Loki wasn’t sure how long this went on, but it felt like quite a few minutes before Thor and his friends left the ring. Thor bowed to the audience once he reached the stage, and threw his fist into the air one last time before walking out. Only then did the crowd begin to leave the arena, and Loki let out a relieved sigh, glancing over at the Thor fan who’d been sitting next to him before making his way out of there. He got a text from Thor telling him where to wait, and he'd only been standing there for about a minute when a professional looking woman came up to him.

“Loki? I am Ms. Potts. Please follow me.” He did just that, putting his jacket back on before following her backstage. She led him through the hallway, which seemed a lot less busy now, and back to the locker room Thor had been using earlier. “You can wait here,” she told him with a kind smile. “Thor should be with you in a moment.”

Loki thanked her, and gave her a quick nod before stepping inside. He let out another sigh, and walked over to sit down on the bench, and only then did he realize that his hands were trembling. The excitement of the match had gotten to him. He hadn’t thought it would be that bad, but seeing Thor almost get eliminated at the very end had almost given him a heart attack. If Stark really had dragged him out, Loki was sure he would have slapped the bastard. Script or no script, he would have deserved it. 

He had to wait for about twenty minutes before Thor finally showed up, looking tired but happy. His hair was a mess, he was covered in a sheen of sweat, and he was holding a small towel in his right hand. 

“Hi,” he said, and stepped closer to him, wiping the towel across his forehead while giving him a bright smile. “I won. Can you believe it?”

“Barely,” Loki answered him, and stood up. The two of them looked at each other for a brief moment before they  both moved forward, closing the distance and pressing their lips together. Thor’s arms moved around his waist and Loki let out a pleased moan when he pulled him even closer to his chest. Thor smelled like sweat, but he didn’t care. He had a feeling Thor was still on a high, and Loki was more than happy to take advantage of it. Before he knew it, Thor had pushed him against the lockers, and his back hit them with a loud sound that went ignored by them both. 

Loki had just hooked his leg around Thor's hip when there was a loud coughing behind them, and Thor pulled back, breathing heavily as he looked at him for a second before turning his head. It was Ms. Potts again, and she looked like she was trying to hide a smile. 

“I just wanted to remind you that they want to talk to you.”

“Two minutes?” Thor asked, and she gave him a nod before leaving them alone. Thor turned back to him again, and he smiled widely before giving him another quick kiss. “I won,” he said again, and stepped back from him, shaking his head while spinning around once. “I’m going to Wrestlemania. I’ll be main eventing Wrestlemania.” He looked like he was only just now beginning to realize it, and Loki smiled while smoothing down his t-shirt. 

“Oaf,” he muttered, and Thor laughed happily before stepping closer to him again, reaching up to put both of his hands against his neck, his warm touch making Loki's skin tingle.

“You will be there, yes?” 

Loki pretended to hesitate, moving his head from one side to the other. “I suppose I could try,” he said. “I do want to see you face Thanos. And win, of course. You better win.”

“I’ll try my best,” Thor promised him, and leaned in for another kiss. Loki willingly parted his lips for him, and moved his own hands against Thor’s stomach, where he was almost able to feel his abs underneath all that leather. 

“I have to go,” Thor whispered against his lips. “But I won’t be long, okay?”

“Okay,” Loki agreed, but still gave him another kiss, which unfortunately only lasted for a couple of seconds before they had to pull back. 

“I love you,” Thor said, and Loki opened his eyes, staring at him as he tried to figure out if he'd heard that correctly. Had Thor actually just said...? No. He couldn't have, right? 

Just as if he realized what he was thinking about, Thor smiled softly at him. 

“I love you,” he said again, and leaned their foreheads together, slowly brushing his thumb against his cheek. “Don’t worry, I’m not expecting you to say it back, I just… I just wanted you to know.” Loki continued to stare at him, even as Thor took a step back. 

“I’ll be back in a moment. Is that okay?”

Loki swallowed, and finally pulled his eyes away from Thor. “Yes,” he said, and nodded his head. “Yes, that’s fine. I’ll wait here.” 

And with one last smile, Thor was out the door, leaving Loki to once again wonder whether he was dreaming or not. 


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been about two weeks since the last chapter, and I'm not going to lie, this one was really hard for me to write. I'm just going to blame Loki for it. He refused to cooperate, and the chapter is shorter than it was supposed to be, but maybe that's a good thing. Anyway, prepare for a little bit of angst. Honestly, did anyone expect anything else?
> 
> Oh, and to make up for the fact that this chapter is a little late, I thought I might let you all know that I've been playing a lot of 2k16 lately, as in the latest WWE video game, and in that game you can create your own characters... Anyone wanna guess which characters I've been creating? Well, Thor was the first one I made, but he definitely wasn't the last. I've actually been making quite a few wrestlers, and I thought I might try to record their entrances, just to give you all an idea of what I think they look like. The plan is to post them at the same time as the Fastlane chapter, which was going to be the next one, but because of what happens here... I don't know if Fastlane will fit in the next chapter, so you might have to wait for number 27. We'll see. For now, I'm going to celebrate this chapter being finished by heading downstairs to make Bucky. Wish me luck.

Thor loved him.

That’s what he’d said. Thor had told him that he loved him. Twice. He had said the words twice.

Why?

What did this mean? Thor had assured him he didn't need to say it back, but Loki felt like this put an awful lot of pressure on him. No matter how much Thor wanted to downplay those words, this was clearly going to change their relationship. The longer Loki thought about it, the more upset he got.

How dare he? How dare he come out and just spring this on him and then leave right after as if it was no big deal? Then again, Loki was happy that Thor wasn't with him at the moment. It gave him some time to collect himself. He thought about calling Amora, but he didn't know how long Thor would be gone for, and the last thiing he wanted was for him to walk in on that conversation. He was on his own. 

After pacing around the room for what must have been at least ten minutes, he sat down on the bench and pressed his palms against it, taking a deep, calming breath or two.

It didn’t help.

Now what? What was he supposed to do about this? Thor loved him. That was what he claimed to do, anyway. But did he really? And even if he did, how long could Loki count on it to last? 

If anything, this was bound to make it worse. This relationship was going to end at some point, and bringing the word love into it would only make it that much harder to let go. Loki wasn’t sure if he could afford to believe that Thor actually loved him. It would be easier to pretend that he had never said it in the first place.

While he waited for Thor to come back, he nervously tapped his fingers against the bench, doing his best to ignore the heavy weight that had settled inside his chest. He wasn’t sure what to do next. What could he possibly say to Thor when he came back? He needed a plan sooner rather than later, but when Thor finally did return, seemingly just as happy as he had been a couple of minutes ago, he realized that everything he could have said died right then and there. 

Thor still looked tired, though his eyes shone brightly, and Loki’s chest hurt when he watched him. Sometimes he almost seemed too good to be true. Actually, Thor _was_ too good to be true. He had been much too nice to him, and Loki wondered how he was ever supposed to walk away from him. Because he would be the one to walk away. He knew his heart would never be able to recover if Thor was the one who left. He wouldn’t do it until he knew it was already over, though. Not until he could feel Thor slipping away from him. Then, and only then, would he put an end to all of this. 

“Sorry about that,” Thor said, and tossed the towel he'd been carrying aside, giving him a smile. “They had to interview me, and then they wanted to talk to me about… what’s to come. You know. What the plans are for tomorrow, first and foremost. It’s going to be an exciting Raw.” He walked closer to him, and Loki stood up, allowing Thor to press their lips together, though he found himself barely responding to the kiss. 

Thor must have noticed, but he said nothing. There was something in his eyes, though, as he pulled back and stepped away from him to get undressed. Something Loki could not define. It worried him, but since he did not want to be the one to address it, he simply let it slide.

He turned around and watched as Thor removed his costume, and slowly sat back down again as soon as he had left the room. While he waited for Thor to return from the showers - shaking his head when he realized he could hear him humming his own theme song - he pulled his phone out of his pocket and wondered if maybe he could send Amora a text. What could she possibly say to cheer him up, though? More than likely, she would advise him to get over himself and be happy that there was someone out there who claimed to love him. He had certainly never been quite as lucky in the past. 

Perhaps she would even be right. Perhaps he was a fool for not rejoicing at the sound of those words. He couldn’t simply snap his fingers and change the way he felt about it, though. It didn’t work like that. As much as he wanted to believe him, as much as he wished he could believe that Thor loved him and that he wanted to stay with him, he knew it was better to doubt. After all, what did Thor know about love? He must have been tricking himself. Yes, that was it. Thor had made himself believe that he loved him, because… Loki could not think of a reason for Thor to do such a thing. In fact, he could not think of a reason for him to be doing any of this. 

When Thor came back out again, using a bigger towel this time to wipe his chest and his arms, Loki turned his eyes over to him and let his gaze travel up and down his body, licking his lips at all that tanned, wet skin. He had seen him naked so many times now, and yet his body would never cease to amaze him. It was truly a work of art, and the text on the back of his shirt was right. He really was a god. 

“So what did you think?” Thor asked, and wrapped the towel around his hips before walking over to his bag. “You didn’t get a chance to tell me what you thought of the Rumble. Did you like it?”

“I thought it was entertaining, yes,” Loki said, nodding his head even though Thor wasn’t looking at him. He stared at Thor's back for a while longer before turning his eyes away. “Though I did get nervous when Hulk was the last participant. And when Vision pushed you out. I thought it was over.”

Thor smiled over at him, pulling on a t-shirt and the same pants he’d been wearing earlier that day. 

“I figured you would. I heard the booing, so I don’t think you were the only one who thought I'd been eliminated.”

Loki let his eyes fall, watching his tightly clenched fists. He could hear Thor moving closer to him, and he drew in a deep breath, waiting a couple of seconds before he tilted his head up to look at him. 

“Is something wrong?” Thor asked. 

Ah. So he had noticed. But either he didn’t realize what the problem was, or he simply wanted him to confirm his suspicions. Either way, Loki shrugged his shoulders.

“No, of course not,” he said, and pushed himself back up again, giving Thor a small smile before he walked past him and closer to the door. “Can we leave now?”

“I wish I could,” Thor told him, and when Loki turned back he had an apologetic look on his face. “But I have to stick around a while longer. There are some things we need to figure out before Raw tomorrow. It’s… Well, like I said, it should be exciting. You can wait for me if you want, but if you’d rather go back to the hotel, I could get someone to drive you."

“How long will you be staying?” Loki asked. 

“I don’t know.” Thor shrugged. “Probably an hour. Maybe more. I shouldn’t be too long, though.”

Loki sighed, thinking about it for a moment before he gave him an answer.

“I suppose I’ll go back to the hotel.” 

“Then let’s get you out of here,” Thor said. He walked over to him, but when he moved to put his arm around his waist, Loki immediately stepped away, ignoring Thor’s gaze on him as he left the room. Thor followed, but made no move to touch him again. The walk out of the building was quiet. Well, they were quiet. The people around them were loud, many of them letting Thor know that they were happy for him. Every time someone smiled at him and congratulated him on his win, Loki felt his heart sinking a little further into the pit of his stomach. Thor should have been excited right now. He should have been celebrating, and yet he wasn’t, because Loki was making him feel bad. 

Once they stepped outside, Thor left his side and headed over to one of the cars parked a couple of feet away from there. He spoke to the driver while Loki crossed his arms over his chest, trying to shield himself from the cold. Suddenly he missed having an arm wrapped around his waist.

When Thor came back to him, he gave him a smile and pointed over at the black car.

“He’ll take you back to the hotel. I’ll get there as soon as I can. Wait for me, okay?” 

Loki nodded his head, not sure how to feel when Thor just stood there. He didn’t touch him, he didn’t kiss him, and Loki wondered if it was because he didn’t want any fans to spot them, or because he didn’t think he wanted him to do it. 

“I will,” Loki said quietly, and gave Thor a look before he left his side and headed over to the car, feeling Thor’s gaze burning into his spine as he climbed inside. He didn’t look back at him, though. Instead, he closed the door behind him and leaned back against the seat, letting out a long and heavy sigh.

It felt like the ride back to the hotel took hours. Loki kept his eyes closed for most of it, not opening them until the car came to a stop and the driver informed him that they had arrived. After a quick thank you, Loki slipped out of the car and hurried up the steps. Once he was back inside their room, he closed the door behind him and leaned against it. As he stood there, he considered packing his things and leaving right now, but could he really do that to Thor? Loki may have been stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew Thor would be hurt if he came back to an empty hotel room, especially since he was hurrying back just to see him. 

Slowly, he made his way over to the bed and sat down on it. He could remember telling himself that no matter what happened in the Rumble, Thor and he would be having sex after it. Thor had won. They were supposed to be celebrating, but Loki didn’t feel up to it. As distracting as Thor’s body could be, he didn’t think it would be enough to make him forget about what he had said. He realized that hearing someone tell you they loved you was supposed to be a happy occasion. For him, it was turning out to be anything but. If anything, it  was a mockery. A cruel reminder that this was turning far too serious for something that was going to end sooner rather than later. 

But how was he supposed to turn Thor down without triggering a confrontation? Thor would want to know why he had suddenly changed his mind about sex, and he couldn’t think of a convenient lie to tell him that didn’t sound too much like ‘No, thanks, I have a headache’. 

In the end, he decided to simply go to sleep. If he was asleep, they couldn’t have sex, and they also couldn’t talk about what was going on. As soon as that had been decided, he shed his clothes and brushed his teeth before slipping under the covers, turning his back to the door. 

When Thor came back, he still hadn’t managed to fall asleep. The door opened and closed, and Loki held his breath, listening as the footsteps came closer. 

“Loki?” Thor’s voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper, and Loki kept his eyes closed, making sure that his breathing was even. “Loki, are you awake?” 

Loki didn’t answer. He listened as Thor stepped into the bathroom, only opening his eyes to glance over at the closed door. He felt like such a coward, but he really was too tired for this discussion. Besides, it was better for both of them not to have it right now.

He shut his eyes again once he heard Thor turning off the lights in the other room, and his chest tightened when he got into bed without touching him. He seemed to be staying on his side of it, and Loki told himself not to be disappointed. At least his plan had worked.

As soon as he woke up the next morning, he threw a glance over at Thor. He was still sleeping. Loki afforded himself a small smile as he watched him, carefully reaching out to brush his fingertips against his cheek. Thor stirred, but didn’t open his eyes, and he let out a relieved sigh before leaving the bed. He went around the room, picking up every single one of his belongings and throwing them into his suitcase. He was just folding the t-shirt he had worn the previous night when he heard the bed squeak behind him, and he stiffened even before Thor had a chance to speak up.

“You’re packing?” 

Loki swallowed, and let go of the shirt before he pushed himself up. 

“You weren’t planning on leaving without saying goodbye, were you?”

Still not meeting Thor’s eyes, Loki headed into the bathroom and picked up his toothbrush. 

“No,” he said, and turned back to the other room. “No, of course not.” 

“But you are leaving?” Thor insisted. Loki finally turned to look at him. Thor was sitting up, the duvet tossed aside. He was wearing nothing but a pair of red boxers, and Loki watched him for a second or two before he shook his head at him. 

“I need to get back. You knew I would only be able to stay for the Rumble. I have to work tomorrow.”

“That’s tomorrow. It’s not even…” Thor reached for his phone, and checked the time with a frown on his face. “Christ, Loki. It’s not even eight yet. When does your flight leave?”

Loki hesitated for a moment. 

“Twelve,” he said. Which was close enough. The actual time happened to be four. He’d wanted to take a later flight to give the two of them some more time together. Obviously those plans had changed. 

“That’s four hours from now,” Thor pointed out, and slowly pushed himself up from the bed. “You don’t have to leave yet.”

“I do, actually,” Loki said, the words coming out a little harsher than he had intended them to. 

“Is this about what I said?” Thor asked, and Loki immediately looked away, bending down to pack his toothbrush as well. “Loki.” 

The firm tone of Thor’s voice made him turn around again, and he gave him a long look, pressing his lips together as he thought about what to say now. In the end, Thor beat him to it.

“I thought it would be a nice thing to say,” he told him, and shrugged his shoulders with a somewhat confused look on his face. “Maybe I was wrong.”

“Maybe you were,” Loki confirmed, not blinking as Thor furrowed his brow at him. “What did you expect me to do, Thor? Swoon? Fall into your arms and declare my undying love for you?"

“I didn’t expect you to do anything. I told you you didn’t have to say it back. I just wanted you to know how I felt about you, why is that so wrong?”

“It’s not…” Loki stopped himself, and let out a shaky breath, picking up his jacket as he tried to compose himself. “I just can’t do this right now. Why don’t I go back home, and you spend the rest of the day celebrating your victory and preparing for Raw? I’m sure you will be much better off without me.” When he saw the look on Thor’s face, he stepped closer and - after hesitating for a couple of seconds - reached up to put his hand against his cheek. “I will call you. Okay?” No matter how much he wanted to get away right now, he didn’t want Thor to think that this was the end. He wasn’t breaking up with him, he was simply removing himself from a difficult situation before he managed to make it even worse. 

“Okay,” Thor said quietly, and nodded his head. 

And that was that. Loki grabbed his suitcase and left the room, and the strong sense of déjà vu he’d had when he first entered the hotel escalated as soon as the door closed behind him. He was leaving. Once again, he was walking out on Thor, trying to run away from whatever he was feeling. 

When he made it outside, he got into a cab and told the driver to get him to the airport. He knew he would be stuck there for hours, but being stuck in an airport was better than being stuck in a hotel room with Thor. At least right now. 

Loki let out a disappointed sigh. He had really been looking forward to this weekend, but now Thor was alone in bed, and he was in a car on his way to the airport when he still had several hours left before his flight was supposed to leave. 

What was he doing? 

No matter how much he yelled at himself, he still didn’t tell the driver to turn around. There was nothing left for him to say. Once he got to the airport, the hours seemed to drag on, and he could only spend so much time on his phone. He answered some emails, made a couple of phone calls, and… and then he still had more than six hours left to go. He ended up going for a walk, trying not to think about his own situation as he looked at the people around him, wondering where they were off to, and whether anyone else was running away from someone they… someone they cared about. 

He had lunch two hours later, and then he sat down on a bench, checking his phone again while he waited for the minutes to pass. After hesitating for a long moment, he texted Amora, asking her if she wanted to come over later that night. He knew she would blame him for all of this, and he knew it wasn’t going to be pleasant, but he simply needed to talk to someone about what Thor had told him, and she was the only one he could turn to. 

She agreed to it, and Loki felt just a little relieved that he had something to look forward to, even though it wasn’t something to be excited about. 

 

Several hours later, he finally found himself back in New York. He was tired, still upset, and nervous about speaking to Amora, but he put all of that aside while he made his way out of the airport and into a cab. When he arrived outside his apartment, it was about two minutes left before Raw was about to start, and he paid the driver before hurrying inside. 

“It’s about time,” Amora said as soon as she saw him, her hands resting on her hips. She was leaning against the wall, waiting for him to unlock the door so that she could slip inside before he’d had a chance to grab his suitcase. By the time he’d stepped inside, she was already on the couch, and Loki shook his head when he could hear music coming from the TV.

“It’s starting!” she yelled at him, and Loki closed the door, muttering a "Hello to you too" before he headed into the living room. They were playing the intro, and Loki removed his coat and his scarf before sitting down next to her, letting out a long breath as he leaned his head back.

“No time to rest now,” Amora said, patting his thigh. “It’s starting. And I bet you a hundred bucks Thor will be out there.” 

Loki turned his eyes to her, but didn’t even have time to tell her that he was not going to bet anything before the intro was over and they were being welcomed to Monday Night Raw. Just like Amora had suggested, Thor’s theme song came on almost immediately, and Loki felt his heart skipping a beat when the screen turned dark. Amora gave him a huge smile, one Loki did not return. Instead, he kept his eyes on the television, biting down on the inside of his lip when Thor came out. At he was smiling. Thor looked happy as he made his way down the ramp, but he only posed for a quick moment before jumping back down, walking over to the ropes where he was handed a microphone. He stopped in the middle of the ring, waiting for the audience to quiet down a bit before he began to speak. 

“I hope all of you were watching last night. It was one hell of a show. But for those of you who weren't, there is something I have to say." His lips curled into a smile before he continued. "I won the Royal Rumble,” he said slowly, and paused to give the fans a chance to applaud his words. "Which means I will be the one to face Thanos at Wrestlemania. Don't get me wrong, I know what he is like. I have been in this business for a long time now, and I have never faced anyone like him. I saw what he did to Luke Cage. I saw what he did to every other wrestler who's stepped into the ring with him. But make no mistake. I would not be standing here right now if I didn't believe I could do it. I was gone for months, but I came back, and I am stronger than ever. I crave a challenge, and that is exactly what Thanos is going to give me. When Wrestlemania is over, when that bell rings, I will be standing in the ring as your new World Heavyweight Champion!” 

The crowd responded with a loud cheer, and Thor paused again, looking like he was just about to say something else when everything went dark. It took a second or two, and then the audience started screaming. Loki turned to Amora, whose eyes had gone wide. 

“What's happening?” he asked her. “Is it Thanos?”

She didn't answer, shaking her head and pointing at the TV to let him know they needed to wait. The lights didn't turn back on, but something that looked like stars slowly appeared on the large screens by the stage. Loki held his breath, wondering if he was finally about to see him, but there was no music coming on. Instead, lots of white smoke began to surround the stage, and they cut back to Thor, who could only be seen thanks to the starry sky being displayed on the jumbotron. 

“You really think you have what it takes to beat me?” came a loud voice. It was deep, and there was something unsettling about it, sending a shiver down Loki's spine. There seemed to be no one else out there, though. Thor’s eyes were turned to the stage, watching it with a solemn look on his face, but apart from the smoke it was completely empty. “I have defeated every fool who have been stupid enough to step into the ring with me. You will be no different."

Thor's jaw was clenched, though there seemed to be a hint of something other than determination in his eyes. Was it fear? It was hard to tell in the darkness. 

"Your arrogance will be the end of you, Thor," the dark voice continued, and the audience was surprisingly quiet while he spoke. "When the time comes for Wrestlemania, I will break you." There was a pause while they cut back to Thor once more, who took a step forward. "Your destiny awaits.”

Loki flinched when there was a loud explosion, and fire shot up from the corners of the ring, surrounding Thor for a long moment while the crowd screamed. When it disappeared, there was a crease between Thor’s brows as he turned back to the jumbotron, which had once again turned dark. 

As soon as they cut to a commercial break, Loki looked over at Amora, who leaned back against the couch with her arms crossed over her chest. 

“What?” he asked, and she shrugged.

“Nothing. I just hope he’s ready for this. Thanos can be tough.”

“But it’s all fake,” Loki pointed out. If it had been a real match, he probably would have been a little worried, but since they weren't actually going to try to hurt each other he saw no reason to panic. 

“Well, yeah.” Amora said. “Of course it’s all fake, but Thanos is… I know you haven’t seen him yet, but he’s brutal, and he's even hurt a couple of people in the ring. From what I've read, he’s not exactly the safest person on the roster.”

Loki gave her a long look, blinking a couple of times before shaking his head. 

“Are you trying to make me worry?” he deadpanned, trying to ignore the fact that his heart was now beating a little faster than it had a couple of seconds ago. “I didn’t realize he was… I’d heard he’s tough in the ring, but I didn’t realize he was dangerous.”

Amora reached out and patted him on the shoulder, giving him a sympathetic smile. 

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. Speaking of Thor… You haven’t told me anything. Did you guys celebrate his victory?” She pulled her knees to her chest, turning her body so that she was facing him. She looked eager, like she was more than willing to listen to every detail he would be willing to share. Of course, there was nothing for him to share. 

“There was no celebrating,” he said, and shook his head, turning his eyes away from her. 

“What do you mean? What happened?”

“He… He told me he…” He sighed, and closed his eyes. “He said that he loves me.”

She was silent for a long moment, but Loki still refused to turn back to her, not wanting to see the look on her face. 

“He did? Loki, that’s great. Right? I mean, that’s never happened to you before.”

Loki noddeed his head, wishing he would have gotten something to drink. Something strong. 

“And how did you react?” Amora prompted. “What did you say?”

“I said nothing,” Loki told her, brushing his fingers against his wrist. “I don’t know why he insisted on bringing it up. It’s stupid. He doesn’t actually love me.” 

“If he didn’t love you, why would he say it?”

“Because he’s a fool,” Loki snapped, raising his voice and dropping his hands to his lap. “He’s an idiot. He thinks that this is some sort of fairytale, and that we’re going to live happily ever after. We both know it needs to end at some point. He’s never around. I work too much. We want different things.”

The show turned back on at that point, but both of them ignored the sounds of Luke Cage coming out on stage. Amora even reached for the remote and pressed the mute button to make sure they would be able to talk. Loki wasn’t sure if he liked that. 

“How do you know?” Amora asked. “How do you know you want different things when you’ve never actually told him what you want?” 

Loki remained silent, watching his own hands for a long moment. 

“I’m not blind. I know what he wants, and I’m not it. Maybe he’s tricked himself into thinking he wants to be with me, but it's not going to last long. It’s better for him to realize that now.”

“You mean it’s easier to tell yourself that because you’re afraid of getting hurt.”

“I am protecting myself, yes. And that would be a lot easier if he wasn’t giving me false hope. Why does he need to tell me that?” Loki pushed himself up from the couch, running frustrated fingers through his hair before turning around to look at her. 

“You don’t think Thor loves you?” Amora asked carefully, surprisingly tactful as she waited for him to respond.

“No,” Loki said at once. “No. I don’t know. Why would he?”

“That’s a very good question,” Amora said, ignoring his glare. “Loki, you’re insane. Have you seen the way he looks at you? I’ve met him once, and those few minutes were more than enough for me to realize that he’s absolutely besotted. If you don’t take advantage of that, you’re an idiot.”

“I don’t want him to leave,” Loki said, turning away from her again. “But I also don’t want to believe. If I believe that this could actually be... something else, I know he will end up disappointing me. Either he'll choose his career over me, or he’ll end up cheating on me because we’re not together as often as we should. No matter what happens, I know I can’t allow myself to…” He trailed off, standing there with his shoulders hunched and his head tilted down. 

He flinched again when he felt Amora’s hand on his arm, but he still didn’t turn around. She didn’t let that stop her, though. She stopped in front of him, hesitating for a moment before she took his hand in her own. Loki immediately pulled away from her, but didn’t move. He just waited for her to say something. 

“Loki,” she began, obviously doing her best to sound patient. “I know you have no reason to listen to me. And I know you’re not going to want to hear this. But you need to talk to him. If you want to be happy with him, the two of you need to figure this out. You need to have an actual adult conversation. Tell him what’s been bothering you, tell him that you’re scared, and that you don’t want to end up heartbroken because of this.”

Loki gave her a doubtful look. Did she really think it was that easy? The reason he wasn’t saying anything was because he didn’t want to lose him. What if he told Thor that he was scared, and Thor realized that he couldn’t make him any promises? 

“It’s fine,” Amora said, and nudged his arm before returning to the couch. “You don’t need to say anything. Just think about it, okay? Or don’t. Do whatever you want.”

She turned the sound back on again, and Loki did his best to ignore whatever was going on in the match. He stood there for about a minute or so, thinking about what she had just told him, only following her back to the couch when he realized she was right. 

He had no reason to listen to her. 

 


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's about time, isn't it? So I guess I should start with an apology. It's taken me way too long to update this. I don't even want to think about how many months it's been. The whole fic was supposed to be finished by now, but... Well, it clearly isn't. But it will be. I don't want anyone to think that I'm giving up on this. Because I'm not. I've just been very busy with school. I'll be graduating in about two weeks, so I have a lot to do right now. That's not the only reason, though. I just haven't been feeling all that great lately. There's been a lot of anxiety. I've doubted myself, my writing, other things... Basically, I haven't been writing even when I've actually had time to do it. That's also why I haven't been responding to any comments. I felt guilty. And that sucks. But hey, at least I managed to finish this chapter, right? 
> 
> So since I'm still busy with school, I have no idea when the next chapter will be finished. Sorry about that. I don't think it'll take me months to finish it, though. I mean, I hope not. So, I can't make any promises, but hopefully it won't take me too long to write. I'm actually kind of excited about getting back to the wrestling part, so maybe that'll help. 
> 
> Anyway, I'm gonna stop rambling now. I hope the ones of you who are still interested in this will be happy about the update. Enjoy! :)

Three weeks. It had been no less than three whole weeks since the last time he had seen Thor. Seen him in person, that is. In that time, there had been no phone calls. No texts. Thor had made no effort to reach out to him, and as the days passed it became clear to Loki that it was up to him. He had said that he would call, and it seemed like Thor was waiting for him to do just that. His broken promise did not make the silence hurt any less, though. Especially on Valentine’s Day. Loki had to admit that it did sting just a little when the day went by without a single word from Thor. He had half expected him to send more roses. _Stupid_. 

When Thor finally did reach out to him, about a week after Valentine's, it came as a complete surprise to him. His phone started buzzing on the coffee table one night, just as he was about to go to bed. At first, he was naive enough to think that perhaps it was just Amora, but then he caught sight of Thor's name on the screen and his stomach promptly dropped. He thought about not answering, figuring it would be easier to let Thor leave a message, but then he reached for his phone, pressing it against his ear before he had time to change his mind. 

“Yes?” Loki answered, already steeling himself for the uncomfortable conversation he was most likely about to have. 

“Oh, good,” came Thor’s voice from the other end, sending an unexpected shiver down Loki’s spine. “You're still alive.” He sounded bitter. His voice sounded nothing like it had done that night, right after the Rumble. He’d seemed so happy. So excited after winning that match. Loki closed his eyes and tried to remember what it had been like to hear Thor say those three words. At the moment, he had a strong feeling he was never going to get to hear them again. 

“I haven't heard from you in three weeks, Loki. You said you were going to call me.”

“I’ve been busy,” Loki tried, though it sounded like an empty excuse even to his own ears, which was why Thor’s immediate response did not surprise him in the slightest. 

“Too busy to send me a text to let me know you’re still breathing?”

Loki shook his head, grabbing the almost empty water bottle standing on the coffee table and marching into the kitchen. He put it back into the fridge and closed the door, leaning against it as he finally gave Thor an answer. 

“I didn’t think you would care.”

There was a pause, a long one, and even though he couldn’t hear Thor’s sigh, he somehow knew it was there. 

“Obviously, I did. So. What’s going on?”

“Nothing is going on,” Loki said. “I just needed some time.”

“And you’ve had it,” Thor pointed out, sounding impatient. “You’ve had three whole weeks. What have you decided?”

“You want me to tell you right now?” Loki clenched his free hand into a fist, letting out a huff as he pressed it against the fridge door. “I don’t think so.”

“Why not?” 

“Because…” Loki scanned the room with his eyes, as if he would be able to find an intelligent response to Thor's question somewhere in his kitchen. “Because I don’t have time for this.”

“Then _make_ time.” 

Loki pushed himself away from the fridge, his voice louder, more emotional when he spoke up again. “No, I’m not going to make time for it. Not now. I am not about to have this conversation over the phone-”

“Fine.”

Silence. 

He'd hung up. Thor hung up on him. Was that really all it took at this point? Thor had been willing to put up with a lot more in the past. Had he finally gotten sick of him? Maybe he'd come to his senses and realized there was no way to get through to him. Good for him.

With a deep sigh, Loki turned around and was just about to leave the kitchen and head into his bedroom when the sound of the doorbell made him stop dead in his tracks. He flinched, his eyes widening as he turned his head around. _No_. No way. But who else could it be? 

He approached the door slowly, each step feeling slightly heavier than the last. Once he was standing in front of the door, he hesitated for a couple of seconds before he opened it. And of course it was Thor standing there, his phone still clutched in his right hand. He looked tired. Perhaps even a little angry. His blue eyes held none of their usual kindness, and there was not even a hint of a smile on his lips. Even so, he somehow still managed to look amazing. His hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and he was wearing a black coat over what looked to be his own wrestling shirt. Loki felt his chest tighten at the sight of him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice more quiet than he had intended it to be.

“I was in the neighborhood,” Thor informed him, shrugging off his question. He had one of his hands on the door, as if he didn't trust Loki not to slam it in his face. “You want to do this in person, then let's do this in person.”

Loki raised his eyebrows. “Right now?” he asked, not doing anything to stop Thor as he stepped past him and quickly made his way into the living room. Loki shook his head and closed the door behind him. 

“Yes, now,” Thor said when he followed him into the living room, where he was already standing in front of his couch with his big arms crossed over his chest. All it took was one look at those arms for Loki to realise how much he had missed them, but he did everything he could to push those thoughts aside. He couldn’t afford any kind of distractions. 

“I’ve waited three weeks for this conversation," Thor continued. "I want an answer, Loki, and I'm not leaving until I get one.”

“You do realize I have to work in the morning, yes?” Loki shot him an unimpressed look. “I can't afford to be late. I don't have time to stay up all night to talk to you about this.” He put his hands on his hips, immediately realizing that he probably didn't look nearly as intimidating as Thor did. Oh, how it annoyed him. “Why don't you leave and come back another time?” 

“No.” Thor shook his head. “I didn’t come all the way over here just to have you kick me right back out. I told you, I'm not leaving until I get an answer.” He turned around, eyeing the couch for a couple of seconds before he sat down on it, making himself comfortable with his arms and legs spread. “I don't care if I have to sleep right here on this couch.”

Loki let out a loud sigh, taking a step closer as he wondered if maybe he could just grab Thor's arm and try to drag him away from there. As if that would ever work. He probably wouldn’t have been able to move him as much as an inch. “Why must you be so stubborn?”

“I’m stubborn?” Thor quickly stood right back up again, letting his arms fall back to his sides this time. “ _I'm_ stubborn? You’re the one refusing to talk about this." He paused, shaking his head before he continued. I’m not going to let you run away from this again, Loki.”

“I’m not running away, Thor." 

“Yes, you are.” All of the sudden, Thor took a step closer to him, and Loki actually did consider running away from there. He didn't, though. He stayed in that same spot, right next to coffee table, his shoulders and back much too tense as he eyed Thor somewhat cautiously. 

“I told you I loved you, and you left. You left for the airport when you could have stayed with me a while longer. That’s running away. And I don’t get it, Loki.” Thor took another step closer. He moved slowly, like he wanted to make sure he wouldn't scare him off by making any sudden movements. “The only reason I waited so long to tell you was because I wanted you to be able to handle it, and I thought we’d finally reached that point. I thought I could tell you without you freaking out about it.”

“I didn’t freak out,” Loki protested, possibly a little too loudly. Thor shook his head. 

“Then why have you been avoiding me for the past couple of weeks?”

“I haven’t been avoiding you.” Loki turned his eyes away, refusing to look at Thor for quite a few seconds, feeling like a petulant child. “I’ve just been really busy. Work has been… chaotic.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you could have told me. Something, at least. You could have told me you were busy. At least I would have been able to stop wondering.”

“Then I’m sorry,” Loki said, shrugging his shoulders. He breathed another heavy sigh, slowly forcing himself to meet Thor's eyes again. “Can we talk about something else now?”

“No, we can’t talk about something else.” Thor crossed his arms over his chest again, and Loki swallowed, though this time his arms were a distraction for an entirely different reason. He was beginning to feel clastrophobic, like he couldn't hide, couldn't think, couldn't  _breathe._ Thor's stubborness was beginning to scare him. Why couldn't he just let it go? 

“This is it, Loki," Thor insisted. "We need to get past this, or it’s not going to work. I’m not asking you to say it to me. Hell, I’m not even asking you to love me back, I just wish you would…”

“What?” Loki asked quietly, blinking several times as he tried to force himself to keep looking at Thor. That only lasted for a couple of seconds, though, before his gaze flickered to the other side of the room, searching for a way for him to escape. 

“I’m trying to get you to open up to me." Thor's voice was surprisingly calm, and it should have been soothing to him, but at the moment Loki couldn't get past the panic rising in his chest, and he did everything he could to stifle it. "You really don’t have to tell me everything. I’m not asking you to share all of your secrets. I’m sure you have plenty of things you don’t want me to know about, and that’s fine. You’re not the only one who’s got things you don’t want to share. But what I am asking for isfor you to at least tell me when something’s bothering you.”

“And if there’s nothing bothering me?”

Loki turned his eyes back to Thor just in time to catch the look on his face. He looked like he didn't believe him at all, his head tilted to the side and his eyes narrowed as he continued to watch him. 

“You can’t pull that shit with me, Loki. Come on. Just talk to me.” He reached out as if to grab his hand, and Loki immediately jerked back, almost stumbling over his own two feet as he took a step away from him. He straightened his shoulders, taking a deep breath as he attempted to pull himself together. 

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” he mumbled, keeping his eyes on his own to hands as he brushed some imaginary dust off his own shirt. 

“I want you to tell me what’s going on,” Thor pleaded, and Loki looked back up again when he took another step closer to him. “What are you thinking about? Why won’t you talk to me?”

“Maybe there’s nothing to share,” Loki snapped, his heart beating fast inside his chest, the panic rising once more. He really was beginning to feel like a trapped animal, and he wanted nothing more than to run and hide. Since that wasn’t an option, the only thing he knew how to do was to lash out and hope he could get Thor to back off. Unfortunately, Thor didn’t seem too bothered by the tone of his voice.

“You mean, maybe there’s nothing you _want_ to share with me,” he said, sounding frustratingly calm. There was a beat, and then: “What happened to you?”

Loki furrowed his brow. “Excuse me?” he said slowly. 

“Something must have happened to make you this way.” The words came out so matter-of-factly, as if of course there was something wrong with him, _of_ _course_ something must have happened to make him into the freak Thor apparently thought he was. 

“ _This_ way?” Loki could not believe what he was hearing. He knew he was damaged, yes, but he never thought Thor would actually point it out. It had nothing to do with him. 

“You know what I mean,” Thor said, reaching up to rub the back of his neck, suddenly looking a little uneasy. 

“You have some nerve.”

The two of them stared at each other, Loki with his lips pressed tightly together, and Thor with a confused look on his face. He slowly dropped his hand from his neck. 

“What?” 

“How fucking dare you, Thor?” Loki gritted his teeth together. The panic was gone, now replaced by a burning anger. He could feel it spreading, making his clenched fist tremble as he glared over at Thor. “Is that what you think? That I'm broken? That I'm not as perfect as you or your fucking friends? Yeah, I guess you're right.”

“That’s not what I said.” Thor held his hands up, and Loki wondered if he was trying to stop him from coming any closer. “I just want to help you.”

“Fuck you,” Loki spat, ignoring the tears that were welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill at any moment. He took a deep, shaky breath, trying to keep it all out of his voice as he continued. “Has it ever occurred to you that I am not yours to fix?” 

Thor blinked. He raised his eyebrows, parting his lips but waiting a moment before he spoke up.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“This has nothing to do with you, Thor.” Loki straightened up, taking another breath in a desperate attempt to control his own emotions. He knew he would never forgive himself if he broke down and started crying now. “A moment ago you were telling me I didn’t have to share anything. So stop asking.”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” Thor nodded his head, letting out a frustrated sigh while running his fingers through his hair, pushing back the loose strands. “You’re right, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’m not here to bring up your past. I want to talk about our future. That’s it.”

“Future? What kind of future could we possibly have?” Loki asked, refusing to admit that his heart had skipped a beat when Thor had called it 'our future'. 

“I think that’s pretty much up to you at this point.” Thor shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

Loki blinked, not sure if he had heard that correctly. He was half tempted to ask Thor to repeat himself, but instead he settled for a “What do you mean?”

“I’m not the one who’s holding us back right now," Thor was quick to point out. He gave him a long look, shrugging again before he continued. "It’s you. I’ve made it clear what I want, but you haven’t.” 

Loki stared at Thor. His mouth even fell open, and it took him a couple of seconds before he remembered to close it. Was he serious right now? No, he couldn’t possibly be. He couldn’t actually be this stupid, this… foolish. Granted, Loki had known for quite some time that Thor was a bit of an oaf at times, but this was something else. He shook his head, mumbling something under his breath as he turned his eyes away again. Of course, Thor - being as stubborn as ever - still refused to let it go. 

“What? What was that?”

“You’re dillusional.” Loki huffed. 

“Excuse me?” 

Loki bit down on the inside of his bottom lip, taking a small step back, putting some much needed distance between the two of them. Maybe that would make it easier to breathe. “Either that, or you’re lying to me.”

“Lying to you?” Thor gave him a confused look. “Why would I be lying to you?”

“You tell me.”

The two of them stared at each other for another long moment, Loki with his arms crossed over his chest and Thor with that same look on his face. They were both stubborn people, and Loki was just beginning to wonder if perhaps they would be left standing there for the rest of the night when Thor finally decided to break the silence. 

“You’re not making any sense,” he said, his lips turning into something that looked close to a pout . “See, this is what I mean. Stop with the riddles and just tell me what you want to say.”

“This is never going to work.”

If Thor wanted to hear the truth, Loki would give it to him. Maybe it was about time. They had already allowed this to go on for a lot longer than they probably should have. They had fooled themselves into thinking they could be something more, something special. That needed to change. Quckly. Thor still seemed confused by his statement, though, and Loki sighed inwardly because he had a feeling he would have to explain exactly what he meant for Thor to finally be able to get it. 

“What? Us?”

“You catch on real quick.” Loki's words were dripping with sarcasm, and he could tell that Thor had noticed. 

“And why wouldn’t it? Why wouldn’t this work?” Loki refused to answer him, his lips still pressed tightly together, trying to hold it in a while longer. If he said it, it would be over, and that was a big step to take. But Thor wasn't giving up. “Loki." He stepped closer to him again. "Damnit, Loki. Talk to me.” 

“Just go away, Thor,” Loki said, and he realized that he probably sounded just as hopeless as he felt. “Please. Just go.” If Thor left now, they could hold on a while longer. Maybe they could even have one last night together, once they had both calmed down. Loki was torn between wanting that,  _craving_ that, and knowing very well that it was time to let this go.

“No. I told you, I’m not leaving until we’ve had this conversation.” Thor stopped right in front of him, clearly using his own impressive size to let Loki know that he was serious. He wasn't leaving, and Loki couldn't force him to. 

“Then maybe I should leave.” He tried to slip past Thor, figuring that maybe he could lock himself into the bathroom and wait for Thor to give up. It was a silly plan, and he wasn't exactly looking forward to the possibility of having to sleep in the shower, but if it could work he was going to give it a shot. He barely had time to take more than one step, though, before Thor’s hand found his wrist. Loki came to a stop, his eyes falling to Thor's hand before he gritted his teeth at him, giving him a furious look. 

“Let. Me. Go.” 

“I told you, I’m not letting you run away again,” Thor said, using his grip on his arm to pull him closer. Loki hated how easy it was for him, how resisting was almost impossible. Now that he was standing this close, he could smell Thor's after shave. And something else. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Some kind of spice, perhaps? Whatever it was, it was making him feel dizzy, and he had to take a second or two before he could form a response. 

“Fuck you,” he snapped, and tried to pull his hand away. After three tries, Thor finally let him. “Fine," he said, and rubbed his own hand against his wrist, even though Thor hadn't hurt him. "Fine, do you want to know why this relationship is doomed? Do I really need to spell it out for you?”

“Yes, I think you do.” Thor said, nodding his head to confirm his own foolishness. “Loki, just tell me what-”

“Because we want different things!” Loki practically shouted at him, turning his head away from Thor. “We want different things. That’s why this won’t last.”

“How can you possibly know that?” Thor asked, still sounding like he didn't get it, like he had no idea what he was talking about. Idiot. “What is it you want that I don’t?” There was a tense pause. Loki met his eyes, briefly, but turned away again as soon as he saw that Thor had finally figured it out, had finally realized what he was getting at. When he spoke up again, his voice was restrained, sceptical, as though he could not believe what he was hearing. 

“What is it you think that _I_ want that _you_ don’t?” he asked slowly.

“A family,” Loki told him at once, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible. “Kids.”

“When have I ever told you that-”

“Oh, come on, Thor.” Loki turned back to him once more, giving him an incredulous look. “I saw the way you were looking at those kids in the park. Your eyes lit up the moment you started talking to them. I know that’s what you want. And I…” He paused, took a deep breath before he continued. “Kids were never part of my plan. I never even considered…” Thor shook his head at him, and Loki let his eyes fall, deciding that he wasn’t strong enough to face him. He’d been wrong. “That’s why you’re going to have to find someone else. If that’s what you want. I don’t fit into that future.”

Thor did not immediately speak up, and Loki’s heart began to beat faster than ever as he waited for Thor to finally agree with him. It was all up to him now. Perhaps Loki should have ended it himself instead of giving him the chance to, but the plans had clearly changed the moment Thor had walked through his front door. 

“Is that really what you think? Loki, I don’t…” Thor moved closer to him again, and Loki tensed, biting down on his bottom lip as he met Thor’s gaze. He looked hesitant, and Loki quietly urged him to go ahead. To just do it. “Yes, I’ve thought about having kids. Hell, I’ve even thought about what it would be like to have them with you.” Loki blinked at his words, giving Thor a confused look, and it was only that confuson that stopped him from pulling away again when Thor reached for his hand. “But it’s not something I need. I’m a wrestler. I’ve been wrestling since I was a teenager. I’ve known for a while that it might not happen.”

“But other wrestlers have kids,” Loki pointed out quietly. He was too tired to get his hopes up. Almost too tired to feel Thor's thumb brushing against the back of his hand. He needed to know for sure what Thor was trying to say before he could calm himself down. 

“That’s true. They do. And they make it work. But… I’ve already told you this. I’m not sure I want to have kids when I won’t be able to see them every day.” Thor reached out for his other hand as well, and Loki found himself leaning a little closer, his brow furrowed in concentration as he listened to Thor speak. “I don’t want to miss out on their first word, or their first steps. I don’t want to miss their birthdays. But that's what would happen. I can’t take the day off just because it’s my child’s birthday. I’ve heard how hard it is to be away, and I’m not sure that’s what I want.” Thor let go of one of his hands, and Loki ws almost about to protest, but then Thor pressed it against the side of his neck instead, and it was a movement that was so familiar to him by now, he immediately began to relax. If only a little. “Besides, what I really want - more than anything - is you. I want _you_. I’ve wanted you since our first evening together. Ever since I rescued you from that driver.” 

Loki managed a half hearted glare, but it was difficult to tease when he just wanted Thor to continue. Thor must have sensed it, because he spoke up again just a couple of seconds later, sounding so calm and sure of what he was saying that it was difficult not to believe him. 

“Look. I can’t guarantee that we’ll be together a year from now, three months from now, or even two weeks from now. But what I can guarantee is that I want you. More than anything. If that means never having kids, so be it. Being with you is more important.”

Thor stopped talking, leaving his warm hand against his neck as he seemed to wait for him to give him his final verdict. And Loki wasn’t sure what to do now. He had never anticipated this part. Ever since Thor had insisted they should be a couple, he had asssumed they would break up sooner rather than later. But here Thor was, making it sound like he wanted to be with him for a long time, possibly longer than Loki could even imagine, and Loki did not know what to do. Should he tell him no? Should he tell him this wasn’t what he wanted? He had not been prepared for this to turn into a longterm relationship. He didn’t even know if he was ready for it. 

But as he looked into Thor's eyes, he quickly realized that none of that mattered. It didn’t matter if he was ready or not, because he wanted to give it a try. He knew he would regret it if he didn’t, and there was no harm in giving it a shot. Loki knew there was a chance he would end up breaking Thor’s heart, or that Thor would end up breaking his, but perhaps it was worth the risk? 

Slowly, he nodded his head, parting his lips as he tried to think of something to tell him. 

“You’re an idiot,” was what finally came out of his mouth. Not exactly the right words, but they made Thor smile. 

“Well, I don’t think I’m the only one here who is,” he pointed out, and stroked Loki’s cheek with his thumb. 

“Are… are you sure about this?” Loki asked, wanting to make sure.

“I am one hundred percent sure about this.” Thor raised a brow. “The question is, are you?” 

“I’m…” Loki hesitated one final time, before nodding his head again. “Yes,” he said, realizing that it wasn’t as hard to say as he’d first thought it would be. “Yes, I’m sure. Let’s do it.”

“Really?” Thor still looked wary, almost as if he didn’t dare believe it, and Loki gave him a small smile, hoping to assure him that he wasn’t lying.

“Really.”

The grin that appeared on Thor’s lips was more than enough to make up for the last couple of weeks. He looked happy again - in fact, he might have looked as happy as he had done after the Rumble. Possibly even happier. He was positively glowing, and Loki felt his heart fluttering in his chest. 

“I love you,” Thor said, and used his hand on his neck to pull Loki in for a kiss. Loki closed his eyes as soon as he felt Thor’s lips on his, and almost protested when it ended much too quickly. “I love you so much. I have for such a long time now.”

“How long?” Loki wanted to know. Thor pulled back a little bit, watched him for a moment before he gave him the answer. 

“Do you remember when we were in bed together? When I said those Swedish words to you?”

Loki nodded. He remembered wondering what those words meant, but they had quckly been forgotten, and he couldn't possibly remember what they had sounded like. “Yes?”

“What do you think they meant?” Thor let out a chuckle, and Loki raised his eyebrows, giving him a long look as the realization dawned on him. Oh. That long? 

“I just didn’t want to tell you in English because I had a feeling you would freak out. I guess I was right.”

“I guess you were,” Loki said quietly. It was almost enough to make him feel guilty, but Thor's obvious enthusiasm made it difficult for him to do anything other than smile. 

“So we’re good? We’re really doing this? I know we still have a lot of things left to figure out. How are we going to do this when you’re here, and I’m… not. But it’ll be okay. I know it will be. One way or another, we’ll figure it out.”

Loki nodded his head again, and put his hands on Thor’s chest, digging his fingers into his shirt before he pulled him down for another kiss. 

“I know we will.” 

He could feel Thor's smile against his own lips, and he was just about to pull back and call him an oaf when he felt Thor's hands move to his waist. He barely had a second to prepare himself before Thor lifted him up, and Loki could not stop a somewhat unmanly yelp from slipping past his lips as he proceeded to be hoisted over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. 

"Thor!" he yelled, not sure if he was supposed to be annoyed or aroused at how easy it was for Thor to lift him up. He settled for something in between. "Thor, put me down!"

"Oh, I don't think so," Thor laughed. He began to walk, and while he was hanging upside down it took Loki a second or two to realize that he was taking him into the bedroom. "If you really want to be with me, this is what your life is going to be like from now on."

Loki wasn't sure if he was referring to being carried around, or if he was referring to being taken into the bedroom and thrown down on the bed. No matter what Thor meant, though, he came to the conclusion - an hour later when they were both hot, tired, and a little messy - that he didn't really mind either way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. Good news. Maybe we'll get less angst now when they've finally decided to really be together? Or maybe not. It's still Thor and Loki after all...


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I have three things to say this time. Number one is that this chapter is a little slow. There's not a lot happening, but I felt like it was needed. The next chapter should be a lot more exciting. Hopefully.
> 
> Number two is that... I can't remember if I mentioned this in a previous chapter or if I just talked about it on my tumblr (and I'm too lazy to go back and check), but I've been making a lot of these characters in the latest WWE video game, and I was hoping to be able to upload their entrances at some point. Fastlane should be happening next chapter, so I might try to make it happen in time for that. I'll probably show all of the characters, even if they haven't been mentioned much in this fic. Except for Thanos. You can't see him yet. Not until he's made an appearance.
> 
> And number three is that... I believe I said at some point that this fic would be thirty chapters long. Well, that's changed. Clearly. It's not over just yet. I tried to sort out the timeline, and it looks like it might end up being thirty five chapters. I'll try to actually stick to that. 
> 
> I really need to stop writing such long chapter notes... Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

“Say it again.”

“I love you.”

There was a brief pause.

“Again.”

“How many times are you going to make me say it?”

Loki opened his eyes, tilting his head up so that he could raise his eyebrows at Thor.

“Are you already getting sick of it?” he asked, giving him an innocent look.

“Never,” Thor assured him with a smile.

Content with Thor’s response, Loki shut his eyes once more. His head was resting comfortably on top of Thor’s chest, while Thor had one of his arms wrapped around him. It felt good like this. It felt safe, and Loki wasn’t sure why he had ever considered giving it up. Thor was warm, and he smelled like… sex. They were both in need of a long shower.

Thor’s fingers were moving up and down his spine, and Loki decided that he never wanted to leave the bed. But he had to. Thor had managed to convince him to stay a little while longer, but if he wanted to make it to work on time he had to get up soon. Very soon. But maybe just five more minutes?

“Say it again,” he asked quietly as he traced Thor’s abs with his fingers.

“I love you.”

“In Swedish.”

There was another pause, long enough to make Loki wonder if he’d said something wrong, before Thor complied.

“Jag älskar dig,” he said, a little slower. “Want me to say it in Norwegian too?”

“Sure,” Loki said, and turned his head to press his lips to Thor’s chest.

“Jeg elsker deg.” The words sounded quite similar to the Swedish ones, and yet not. Thor spoke even slower this time, sounding almost unsure of himself, and Loki opened his eyes once more, lifting his head a bit so that he could look at him.

“How many times have you said that?” he asked, remembering that Thor's father was the one who had been born in Norway. From what little he had heard of their relationship, he couldn't imagine his father telling him that he loved him very often. 

“A few,” Thor answered, and shook his head, a somewhat sad smile on his face. “My father has never been a huge fan of saying it. In any language. But that’s okay. My mom said it plenty of times, but in Swedish of course.”

“Of course.” Loki rested his arms on Thor’s chest, and tilted his head to the side as he wondered if he would ever get to meet Thor’s parents. He supposed that was the kind of thing you did when you were in a serious relationship with someone. He wasn’t sure. He had never met anyone’s parents before, and he didn't know if he would be any good at it. Then again, faking it was part of his job.

At least Thor’s mother sounded like a kind person. Loki wasn't sure if that made it any easier, though. Disapproval and awkward politeness he could handle. Sweet words and a willingness to actually get to know him… He wasn’t quite sure what to do with that.

“What are you thinking about?” Thor asked, and Loki blinked, realizing he must have been out of it for quite some time. He gave him a light shrug, moving further up Thor’s chest so that he could press their lips together.

“Nothing,” he said, slowly pulling back again and giving Thor an apologetic smile. “I should probably get going. I need to be at work in an hour.”

“What about breakfast?” Thor asked, carding his fingers through Loki’s hair, making Loki feel like he should have been purring. As sappy as it was, he really didn’t want to leave, feeling much too comfortable right there on Thor’s chest. But he had to go.

“I don’t usually have breakfast at home,” he said. “I might have something while I’m at work.” Thor immediately frowned at him, and Loki had a feeling he had a stern lecture in store for him. 

“Well, that’s just not acceptable. Look, why don’t you take a shower, and I’ll make you something to eat in the meantime?”

Loki considered it, and came to the decision that he wasn’t going to say no if Thor wanted to spoil him. Besides, he had mostly enjoyed Thor’s cooking so far. He nodded his head, and Thor pressed a kiss to his forehead, waiting for him to leave the bed before getting up as well.

Loki took one last look at Thor’s naked body before sauntering into the bathroom, where his eyes were immediately drawn to the mirror. His hair was a mess, and he was sporting a very noticeable hickey on his neck, but other than that he looked the same. He felt different, though. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and now he could finally breathe again. Thor had told him that he wanted him. _Him_. And for some reason, Loki actually believed him. Maybe there was no telling how long they would be able to stay together, but for now… For now, Loki was going to relax and at least try to enjoy it.

It wasn’t necessarily going to be easy though. Thor was still a wrestler. And Loki still lived in New York. They weren’t going to be able to see each other every day, or even every week, but they somehow had to make it work anyway. Loki was torn between not wanting Thor in his apartment twenty four seven, and realizing that he was most likely going to miss him whenever he wasn't around.

He finally stepped into the shower and immediately reached for the soap, washing himself as he continued to think about their relationship and possible future together. How did other wrestlers do it? From what he’d read online, it seemed like several of them were in relationships, or even married, and he wondered how they managed to stick together when they only see each other every now and then. Then again, maybe the wrestlers made more of an effort to get home a couple of days each week if they were in a committed relationship? Thor had claimed that they were in a relationship, but they still only saw each other once, or possibly twice a month. Was he just not important enough for Thor to make that effort? Or would all of it change now?

His mind still filled with questions, Loki left the shower a couple of minutes later and reached for a towel, wrapping it around his waist before he returned to his bedroom. The smell of food was coming from the kitchen, and he hurried up to get dressed, putting on black pants and a white shirt. Luckily, the hickey was placed low enough on his neck that he was able to cover it, and he was just in the process of fixing his tie when he walked into the kitchen. Thor was standing by the stove, wearing a pair of sweatpants but no shirt, and Loki knew that he could definitely get used to this part.

“What are we having?” he asked, taking a seat at the table.

“Oatmeal for you,” Thor said, turning around and placing a bowl in front of him. “And oatmeal and scrambled eggs for me.” Loki only gave Thor's bowl and plate the quickest of glances before he reached for his spoon. It smelled good, and he gathered some oatmeal on his spoon. It was hot, but good - a hint of cinnamon, banana, and… some kind of nuts. He hadn’t even realized that he had any nuts at home.

“Is it okay?” Thor asked as he sat down on the other side of the table, and Loki nodded his head, pushing the bowl closer to himself.

“It’s great,” he said.

There was a comfortable silence between the two of them while they ate, and when Thor stood up and reached for his empty bowl, Loki threw a glance down at his watch and realized that he would most likely be a little late for work. Oh, well. 

“So,” he began, eyeing Thor’s lack of clothing when he had his back turned to him. He didn’t look like he was in a hurry to go anywhere, and Loki wondered if he was planning on staying.

“So,” Thor repeated, and turned around. He waited for Loki to stand up before he walked closer and wrapped his arms around his waist, smiling widely at him.  “You’re not planning on kicking me out, are you? I could stay here while you’re at work. Clean up a little bit. Have dinner on the table by the time you get home.”

“Like my very own housewife?” Loki teased, and moved his hands down to give Thor’s ass a good squeeze. Thor let out a yelp, letting go of him so that he could slap his hands away, and they both laughed before sharing a brief but passionate kiss.

A couple of minutes later they were standing by the front door. Loki handed Thor his spare key, which he'd found hidden in between some books in his bedroom. 

“In case you want to leave the apartment,” he explained. “I should be back around six. Possibly seven.” He paused, and pressed his lips together, giving Thor a long look. Thor raised his eyebrows at him.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Loki shook his head. “I’m just not used to…” To _this_. To leaving someone behind when he left for work. To knowing that someone would be waiting for him. Thor seemed to understand, and he gave him a smile before pulling him in for another kiss.

“I know,” he said, his breath hot against Loki’s lips. “I love you.”

Loki quickly left before he had time to make an even bigger fool out of himself. It felt… strange. This whole thing felt strange, and it was almost as if he was waiting for something to go wrong. It felt too domestic, too perfect. And how long could that possibly last? On his way to work, he also had enough time to wonder how long it would take before Thor would expect him to say it back. He had told him he didn’t need to do it, but it felt like those words were hanging in the air, just waiting to be said. And Loki wanted to say them, but he couldn’t. He wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. He’d never said them before. Not to a guy at least. 

It turned out to be almost impossible for him to concentrate on what he was supposed to be doing that day. The people around him were annoying him even more than usual, and at some point Loki couldn’t help but wonder if he had ever really enjoyed his job. Well, he must have, or he wouldn’t have stuck with it for so long. He would have left a long time ago. He was clearly not enjoying himself right now, though, and the only thing stopping him from marching into his boss’ office and quit was the fact that he still needed a job. He still needed the money.

He didn’t manage to slip away until after seven, and he hurried back home again, trying to decide if he actually believed that Thor would have dinner on the table for him. When he stepped inside his apartment, the food was indeed on the table, but not the one in his kitchen. Instead, Thor had set everything up in the living room, and Loki could hear excited voices coming from in there. 

“Smackdown is about to come on,” Thor said, greeting him with a quick kiss before disappearing into the kitchen. “I figured maybe we could watch it.”

Loki nodded his head, removing his coat and his shoes before he stepped into the living room, tilting his head in curiousity when he saw the food. Thor must have gone shopping, because Loki could not recall having that much food in his fridge when he’d left that morning. It looked like Thor had made some kind of wraps, and he could definitely smell chicken.

Thor went on to explain the ingredients he had used, Loki just barely listening as he sat down with a heavy sigh, leaning his head back against the couch. Thor, who had been busy listing the various vegetables he’d cooked, paused and turned to look at him.

“Long day?” he asked. 

Loki nodded.

“Then you need to eat,” Thor said, pouring him a glass of water, which Loki immediately reached for. He took a couple of big sips, closing his eyes, slowly setting the glass back down again once it was half empty. 

“Sometimes I don’t know why I work with these people,” he muttered. Thor pressed the mute button on the remote control and turned his body so that he was facing him, studying him for a moment before he spoke up.

“It was that bad, huh?”

“I’ve had worse,” Loki answered him, and gave Thor a small, tightlipped smile. Thor put his hand against his neck, briefly brushing his thumb against his cheek before he pulled back and put the sound back on again.

“Come on,” he said. “You need to eat.”

Loki nodded his head, pushing himself up a bit as he reached for his wrap. He took a small bite, chewing on it while keeping his eyes on the television screen. It tasted pretty good, and he took another bite just as Daredevil’s theme song came on and he headed out on stage.

“Are you in this episode?” he asked, glancing over at Thor. “And don’t tell me ‘you’ll just have to wait and see’ because I will strangle you.”

Thor let out a laugh, putting his wrap down before he shook his head.

“I’m in this episode,” he confirmed. “But not for a very long time, so don't get your hopes up.”

Loki let out a disgruntled huff, but didn't say anything else. 

Daredevil started the show by fighting Punisher - a new character who had showed up just a couple of weeks ago. He’d attacked several people backstage, acting almost like the Winter Soldier had at first, except that Punisher had been going after the heels and not the faces. Until now, that is. Loki was pretty sure that Daredevil was a face. Or maybe he was somewhere in the middle? He honestly didn't know. 

What followed were a couple of matches he didn’t really care about, but he enjoyed them none the less, mostly because Thor seemed really excited to watch his friends wrestle, and he grabbed Loki’s arm several times while pointing at the screen to make sure he was absolutely paying attention. What an oaf.

Thor ended up having no more than a couple of minutes of screen time. He didn't even get to fight anyone, he just had a conversation with Maria Hill backstage, where he asked her to please set up some challenging matches for him. He needed to prepare himself for Thanos. She told him he had to be careful not to push himself too far, and Thor was about to respond when they were interrupted by Crossbones, who assured Thor that he could give him a challenge. Thor left without saying another word, and then that was it. He didn't show up again. 

Once Smackdown was over, Thor got up to clear the table, and Loki was about to help him when he realized that resting his eyes seemed like a much better option. He made himself comfortable on the couch, listening to Thor move about in the kitchen as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax.

When he woke up again, it took him about half a minute to realize that he was no longer on the couch. Thor must have carried him into the bedroom. And undressed him, since he was no longer wearing his shirt or his pants. Loki frowned lightly for a moment, before the arm that wrapped itself around his waist made him relax once more. He closed his eyes again, and it didn’t take him long to go back to sleep. The next time he woke up, he gently moved Thor’s arm away from himself before he pushed himself out of bed. He had no idea if Thor was planning on staying another day or not, but he wasn’t about to wake him up when he assumed Thor didn’t get to sleep in very often.

After getting dressed, he wrote him a quick note letting him know that if he did have to leave he could use the spare key to lock up, leaving it on the kitchen table before he left the apartment.

When he came back, several hours later, Thor was still there, and there was a wide smile on his face as he came over to greet him.

“How was work?” he asked, pulling him in for a kiss, which Loki barely responded to. As soon as Thor pulled back again, he shook his head, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips.

“Fine.”

Thor raised a sceptical eyebrow, and Loki quickly slipped past him into the kitchen. He ignored Thor’s footsteps behind him and hurried over to one of the cabinets, opening it and pulling out the bottle of red wine he knew he’d been saving for a reason. He didn’t even bother reaching for a glass, instead just getting it open and bringing it to his lips, taking a long sip. Something stronger would have been preferable, but all he had was the wine, and Loki drank some more, trying to force himself to calm down. Before he could make that happen, Thor was right behind him, taking the bottle away from him and setting it back down on the counter.

“Hey,” he said firmly, and placed a gentle hand on his arm, forcing him to turn around. Loki refused to meet his eyes, closing his own when Thor pulled him closer and wrapped his arms around him. “It’s okay,” he said, pressing his lips to the side of his head. Loki didn’t hug him back, but he did press his forehead against Thor’s shoulder, keeping it there while Thor rubbed his hand in circles against his back.

Thor didn’t ask what had happened, and Loki was grateful that he didn’t. He didn’t want to talk about it. The day hadn’t been awful, but when it was another bad day on top of so many other bad days… The frustration was making him want to scream, or break something, but luckily Thor’s arms around him did make it just a little easier.

“At least it’s Friday,” Thor said after a long moment of the two of them just standing there. “You don’t have to work this weekend, right?”

Loki shook his head, face buried in the crook of Thor’s neck.

“Then take this time to relax. Recharge. Do whatever you need to do to forget about work and just have some fun.” There was a pause. “Well, maybe not _whatever_ you need to do.” Loki had a feeling Thor was eyeing the bottle of wine still standing on the counter, and he slowly pulled back a little bit.

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” Thor continued, brushing his fingers against his cheek. “But we’ll see each other soon. Won’t we?” Loki nodded his head, not sure if he was trying to convince Thor or himself. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure when they would have time to see each other again. He did really want to make it to Fastlane, which was only one week away, but if work continued to be this crazy… He took a deep breath, finally pulling away from Thor’s arms. He put the wine away in silence, surprised when Thor grabbed his arm again.

“Let’s get you something to eat,” he said.

They had dinner in the living room again, some silly comedy playing on the TV while the two of them enjoyed their food. Thor laughed at a lot, and loudly, but Loki found himself barely chuckling even as the main character delivered one joke after the other.

Thor kept throwing glances at him, almost as if he was wondering why he wasn’t laughing, and Loki found himself sighing heavily.

“I’m sorry,” he said when the movie was almost over. “I’m not a very fun person to be around.”

Thor immediately gave him a sharp look.

“Loki…” He leaned closer, no longer focusing on the movie. “It’s just a stupid comedy. You’ve had a crappy week. And for the record, I love spending time with you. I thought you knew that by now. I mean, why do you think I keep coming here?”

“I don’t know,” Loki said, shrugging his shoulders as the realization hit him. “I don’t know why you…” He trailed off, deciding he didn't need to go there right now. 

“I do it because I want to. Because I'm... usually having a good time with you." He raised a brow. "You can't blame yourself for having a bad moment. You're allowed one. No one’s perfect,” Thor added, and gave him a small, teasing smile.

“You certainly aren’t,” Loki huffed, and Thor nodded his head in agreement, his smile stretching into a wide grin.

“No, I’m not. I wouldn’t want to be.”

The two of them settled that fact relatively quickly, and once the movie was over they went to bed together. It was only later that night, when Thor had fallen asleep and he was still unable to, that Loki realized that as nice as Thor’s visit had been, they still had so many things left to figure out. Sure, they would probably see each other for Fastlane, and hopefully for Wrestlemania, but what about after that? Would they only see each other once a month? That would only work for so long. What if they got sick of it? What if they got sick of a long distance relationship? One of them would have to give up their career. Thor could quit. He could stop being a wrestler and start being a… Loki wasn’t sure what else he would want to do. Maybe he could teach wrestling? There had to be some kind of wrestling school somewhere in New York. Right?

Even with these thoughts troubling him, Loki did eventually manage to go to sleep. He even slept relatively well, but whatever peace he had managed to find in his sleep disappeared the moment he woke up and realized the bed was empty. His chest tightened uncomfortably, until he noticed the smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen. Thank God. Thor was still there, and Loki let out a relieved sigh when he saw him standing by the stove once more. 

“I wish you would stay longer,” he said as he sat down, nodding his head once in approval when Thor put down a plate in front of him.

“You say that now,” Thor teased, and poured him some coffee. “Give it a few more days. You’d hate having me around.”

Loki wasn’t so sure about that, which was probably why he wasn’t quite able to smile an hour later when they were both standing by the front door once more. Thor was smiling enough for the both of them, though, seemingly not at all upset about having to leave. Loki wasn’t sure what that said about their relationship.

“We’ll see each other next week,” Thor assured him, and gave him a long kiss, one that left Loki breathless and slightly weak at the knees. “For Fastlane. And it’ll be great.” He kissed him again, leaned his forehead against Loki's for a moment before slowly pulling back. “I love you.”

Loki opened his mouth, hesitated, and then gave him a nod.

“See you next week.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I haven't uploaded all of the entrances yet. I was experiencing some technical difficulties, but I've uploaded one video that has Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I know it would make more sense for Thor to be the first one, but I'm not entirely happy with his entrance just yet. For now, [here is a link to the first one.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWpIHI8A3lc) As you may notice, Falcon is inspired more so by his costume in the comics, while Winter Solder is definitely inspired by the movies. I hope you'll have as much fun watching it as I had making it!
> 
> I forgot to say this last time, but I just want to thank all of you for your support and your lovely comments. They mean so so much to me, so thank you! <3
> 
> Oh, and I would also like to thank my brother (future WWE superstar, at least according to him) for helping me with this chapter, even though he won't be reading this.

Loki did manage to recharge somewhat during the weekend, just like Thor had told him to do. He did his best not to think about work, which was difficult when he didn’t have Thor around to distract him. He ended up calling Amora, who was too busy to hang out with him, but not too busy to listen to him talk for what felt like hours but what was probably no more than twenty minutes. He told her about Thor, and what Thor had said to him, and that the two of them were now… a more serious couple than they had been a couple of days ago. She seemed happy for him. Supportive, even. Of course, she still wanted to know how they would deal with Thor being away so much, and he told her he wanted to know the same thing, but that they hadn’t figured that part out yet. He supposed they could only have so many serious talks in one visit.

Once he was done ranting about his life, he felt bad enough that he actually managed to bring himself to ask her about the wedding, which she was still in the middle of planning. Amora told him she was trying not to freak out, and that there had apparently been some kind of problem with the band, but that her fiance was being very supportive. For some reason, Loki found himself wondering what kind of wedding Thor and he would have. Not to say he wanted to get married. They hadn’t even known each other for a year yet. And he still wasn’t entirely sure how long this relationship would last. Still, if they did stay together long enough… It seemed like the kind of thing Thor would do, didn’t it? Propose. Kneeling down in front of him with a ring in his hand. Okay, it wasn’t an awful image, but it also didn’t make him want to look for wedding venues anytime soon. 

As relatively relaxing as the weekend turned out to be, his frustration returned almost as soon as he got back to work on Monday. It seemed like the idiots he worked with were incapable of figuring anything out on their own. Even though he was stuck on the phone for almost the whole day, they still somehow managed to infuriate him. He felt like he was forced to fix every one of their stupid mistakes, and at the end of the day, the only thing stopping him from strangling someone was the fact that he knew he was about to go home and watch Raw. And wasn’t that strange? The only thing making him feel better was the thought of watching wrestling. If anyone had told him that would happen about a year ago, he would have laughed in their face.

In his defense, it was the last Raw before a PPV, and he had a feeling it was going to be a good one. They still had some matches left to set up, and he was not only curious about what would happen to Thor. He was curious about Cap and the Winter Soldier as well. They still hadn’t had a proper match yet. There had been fistfights, but no official winner.

When he finally got to leave, he hurried back home, refusing to admit that he was practically running towards the TV as soon as he’d shut the door. He tossed his coat aside, reaching for the remote and throwing himself down on the couch. The intro was still playing. He’d made it. He didn’t even think about dinner until his stomach let out a loud growl, but he simply shushed it before turning his attention to what was happening on the television screen.

They started off by establishing that Punisher and Daredevil were going to have a match at Fastlane. No surprise there. As for the Divas, they had already announced that Sif, Storm, and Black Widow would have a triple threat match to determine who would become the number one contender for the championship. The three of them all showed up on screen, but they didn’t have any matches. They just spent some time in the ring trying to convince each other that they would be the winner.

Of course, there were quite a few other things happening as well, none of which made him particularly excited, until Cap finally came on screen. Loki hated himself for even thinking it, but he was actually looking forward to finding out what would happen to him. The guy was still wearing an American flag, though. He couldn’t take him too seriously.

Cap came out ready to have a match against Crossbones, but the lights went out while he was still on his way to the ring, and when they came back on again the Winter Soldier was attacking him. Again. He pushed him against the barricade, and the crowd screamed and booed as Cap fell to the floor, unable to defend himself as he was pulled up and tossed against the other side of the ramp as well. Bucky seemed to be screaming something at him, but Loki could only make out bits and pieces, something that sounded a lot like “I was never your friend!”

He was just in the middle of punching him, Cap doing what he could to try to protect his head, when Falcon’s music hit and he came running out on stage, dressed in normal jeans and t-shirt instead of his usual wrestling gear. Bucky barely had time to turn around before he was tackled, Falcon landing on top of him a couple of feet away from Cap. He screamed at him to leave Cap alone, and Bucky received a couple of punches before he managed to bring his knee up and push Falcon away from himself. He struggled to get to his feet, backing away from there with what Loki assumed was a surprised look on his face. It was hard to tell when he was wearing those goggles.

“You wanna fight someone, huh?” Falcon shouted at him, standing up and putting himself in front of Cap. “I’m right here, asshole! Let's go!” The Winter Soldier watched him for a long moment, standing there in the middle of the ramp while the people behind him booed him. Finally, he turned around, leaving Falcon with Cap as he jumped over the barricade and disappeared into the crowd. Falcon’s music came on once more, and Loki crossed his arms over his chest when he bent down to check on his friend. So did this mean Falcon and Bucky would be having a match? Interesting. He hadn’t expected that, but he supposed they were trying to save Captain America and the Winter Soldier for Wrestlemania. It made sense.

His phone buzzed next to him on the couch during the next commercial break, and Loki picked it up, rolling his eyes at Thor’s apparent excitement.

‘How awesome was that?’

Loki could practically hear Thor’s voice, and he shook his head as he typed his response.

‘Very. Now when are you coming out?’

‘Soon,’ Thor promised him, and Loki put his phone down with a huff.

It turned out that Thor was part of the the main event. Maria Hill had taken Thor’s words of wanting a challenge quite seriously, and he was now about to face not only one opponent, but three. They were all jobbers, though, so Loki wasn’t sure how much of a challenge it would be. Of course Thor would be able to beat three people whose job it was to get beaten practically every single time they were out there. It didn’t take him very long either. Those poor guys were out of it fairly quickly, but Thor didn’t seem particularly happy about it. More like frustrated.

“Is that the best you can do?” he shouted once the bell had rung and he had been declared the winner. He barely had time to finish the sentence, though, before the room turned dark once more. The audience screamed, and Loki held his breath, leaning closer to the TV as he wondered if he was finally about to see him. But no. The jumbotron lit up, but it wasn’t Thanos on screen. It was Cap. He was sitting on a chair, looking exhausted, with his head planted in his hands. A sound to the right made him look up, and he barely got out a “What the-” before someone had attacked him.

They cut back to Thor, who immediately took a step closer to the ropes, mirroring Loki’s confused look. Was it Bucky again? But why would Thor have anything to do with Bucky when Falcon had already added himself to that feud? But then Loki realized that whoever was attacking Cap wasn’t Bucky. It was a cloaked figure, who was quickly joined by other equally cloaked figures. Once again, Cap was unable to defend himself, and they proceeded to beat him up, Thor watching the whole thing with a worried look on his face. He put his hand on the ropes and looked like he was just about to exit the ring when the screen turned dark and the image of Cap disappeared. A moment later, words began to appear on the jumbotron, and Loki furrowed his brow.

‘Stand down. Or this will happen again.’

Thanos. It had to be him. They cut back to Thor, who had his jaw clenched, a determined look on his face as the image faded out and the show was over.

As Loki sat back, resting his head against the back of the couch, he realized he wasn’t quite sure how to feel. They were really building Thanos up as a threat. Though from what he’d heard, it really didn’t seem to be necessary. Thanos was intimidating all on his own. He didn’t even need to show up to seem intimidating.

Thor sent him another text, this time adding a picture of himself looking over the top scared.

‘What do I do?’ he’d written, and Loki had to roll his eyes again.

‘Run,’ he wrote, but Thor insisted that he was no coward, and Loki wondered if maybe that was the problem. He knew it was all fake, but sometimes he wondered if maybe going up against Thanos was a really stupid idea. His scare tactics were working. Loki was actually a little scared, but not of Thanos. He was scared for Thor, and he wondered what was going to happen at Fastlane. There was no way Thanos wasn’t going to make some kind of appearance, whether in person or through more mysterious messages on the jumbotron.

Fastlane was taking place in Pittsburgh, and Loki was happy that he wouldn't have to travel very far. He wasn’t quite as happy about being stuck at work the next day, though. There was a lot to be done, but at least his colleagues seemed less inclined to bother him, and he actually had an okay day. The next day was okay as well, and so was Thursday. 

Unfortunately, Friday was awful, and his boss even asked him if maybe he would be able to work Saturday and Sunday as well. Loki was livid, though he didn’t let it show. Instead, he told him that he could come into the office on Saturday, but that Sunday was out of the question. That had to be good enough because he was not cancelling on Thor just because they had too much to do. No way. They would have to fucking fire him. His boss didn’t seem too happy, and Loki had a feeling he probably _would_ have fired him if it hadn’t been for the fact that he desperately needed him.

Saturday was hell, and the only thing he could focus on was getting to see Thor again the next day. At least he managed to make a quick phone call to Amora while he was on his much needed break. She even asked him why he didn’t just quit, pointing out that they didn’t deserve him and that no matter how much money he was making, maybe it just wasn’t worth it. Loki found himself unable to argue with her. Still, he went right back to work as soon as their conversation was over. He did enjoy his job. He did. It was just a little rough at the moment. 

The next day, Loki gathered his things - namely his suitcase, his jacket, and his keys - before leaving the apartment. He took a cab to the airport, where he had to wait about an hour and a half before he got to get on the plane. Luckily, it was a pretty short flight, and it felt like they barely spent any time at all up in the air before it was time to land. Loki got his suitcase and made his way outside, where Thor had promised to wait for him. It didn’t take Loki very long to spot him. Thor was clearly trying to look inconspicuous - the sunglasses and grey hoodie made that clear - but unfortunately for him the fact that he was huge  still made him stand out, and Loki could have sworn he saw a couple of people throwing glances at him, which was probably why Thor greeted him with a smile but no kiss.

“Hey,” he said, and took his suitcase from him, carrying it over to a dark SUV. “I’m glad you could make it.” He motioned for Loki to get inside, and as he got into the car Loki realized that he didn’t really feel like he was in a committed relationship. He felt a lot more like a dirty little secret, though he supposed he could understand why Thor would rather not have anyone taking pictures of the two of them kissing. 

Luckily, he was able to let it go, and the two of them had a nice moment together on the way to the hotel. They listened to the radio as Thor told him he was excited about the show, and Loki even admitted that he was too.

“Will Thanos be there?” Loki asked, and Thor took his eyes off the road, giving him a brief glance before he turned away with a chuckle.

“Did you really expect me to answer that?”

Loki let out a sigh. No, he supposed he hadn’t.

The hotel Thor took him to seemed nice enough, and he insisted on carrying Loki’s suitcase once more as they made their way up the steps. Loki didn’t mind. He simply slipped on his sunglasses as well, even though they were just about to head inside. Since Thor still had his sunglasses on as well, he couldn't help but wonder if they looked like a celebrity couple. It certainly felt quite nice to be able to walk through the lobby and think about the fact that Thor was his boyfriend. That the tall, blond guy that was wearing a shirt that seemed much too tight for him belonged to him and no one else.

As soon as they were safely inside the hotel room, Loki pushed him up against the closed door, eagerly pressing their lips together. Thor dropped his suitcase, and Loki groaned when his arms immediately went around his waist. It had only been a week since their last kiss, but it felt like a lot longer than that, and Loki was far too stubborn to pull back. In the end, Thor was the one who stopped the kiss, keeping their lips no more than an inch or so apart as he let out a sigh.

“We don’t have time for this,” he said, sounding like he very much wished there would have been time for it. “I have to get to the arena. And you want to come with me, right?” Loki pulled back, letting out a breath as he licked his lips. They still had a couple of hours left before the show, and he supposed it was better to spend as much time as he could with Thor. He nodded his head, meeting Thor halfway when he leaned in for another kiss, a less desperate one this time.

“Good. You want to get changed before we leave?”

Loki nodded his head again, giving Thor’s chest a brief pat before he turned around, picking up his suitcase and putting it on the bed. Thor slipped his phone out of his pocket and leaned against the wall, clearly messaging someone while Loki changed into a dark pair of jeans and Thor’s shirt. When Thor looked back up again, he let out a load groan, slipping his phone back inside his pocket before moving closer to him.

“You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?” he said, and moved one of his arms around Loki’s back so that he could drag him closer. Loki smirked, and allowed himself to get pulled in for another kiss, immediately wrapping his arms around Thor’s neck. He wasted no time before parting Thor’s lips with his tongue, making them both groan into the kiss. He even managed to roll his hips against Thor’s, only pulling back once Thor’s hands began to move closer to his ass.

“I thought we had to leave?” he said, and gave Thor a playful look as he raised a brow. When Thor hesitated, Loki gave him a light push and made his way over to the door, pulling it open with an even bigger smirk on his face. “Shall we?”

Thor let out a long, heavy sigh before he followed him, making sure to smack his ass on the way out.

The ride to the arena didn’t take very long. Thor parked the car, and then they were let inside by a big security guy. Loki didn’t feel quite as silly wearing Thor’s shirt this time, and he also didn’t seem to be getting quite as many curious looks as they made their way through the hallways.

“Where are we going?” he asked, glancing over at a young looking man who gave them both a wave and a smile as he passed them. Thor waved back, and Loki had to turn his head around and make sure he didn’t recognize him, but nope. He was pretty sure he had never seen that guy before. Probably someone working backstage.

“Looking for the others. I'm in no rush, we’ve already had our meeting.”

“So you know who’s winning today?”

“Pretty much,” Thor confirmed with a smile. But he clearly wasn't going to tell him, so Loki didn't bother asking him about it. 

It only took them a couple of minutes to find Steve and Natasha relaxing in the middle of the hallway, the two of them talking about something that had them both laughing. It seemed like the two of them hung out quite a lot, and Loki was comfortable around both of them, so he didn’t mind when Thor put his arm around his shoulders and dragged him over there.

“Hey, you made it,” Natasha said, her eyes on Loki, who gave her a nod in return. “I’m not sure what poor Thor would have done if you hadn’t.”

“Someone would have found him crying in the bathroom, no doubt,” Steve said, and Thor pretended to shoot him a glare.

“Funny,” he said. “Very funny. You’re just cocky because you don’t have a match tonight. You know you've got nothing to lose.”

“Yeah, well.” Steve shrugged his shoulders. “At least I get to go out there. I don’t mind staying out of a fight for a change.”

While the two of them talked, Natasha motioned for Loki to come over, and he stepped closer to the table she was sitting on. She told him he looked very stylish, a small, almost unnoticeable smirk on her lips when she eyed his shirt, and Loki simply gave Thor a look before he answered her.

“You know how it is. I have to show my support. Besides, I enjoy knowing that I’m getting to him.” Thor caught himself mid sentence and turned to look at him, an almost flustered look on his face. Of course, the teasing started right up, and Loki smiled as he moved an arm around Thor’s waist, keeping it there while he listened to his friends make fun of him.

Loki was so focused on Thor, he almost missed the blonde woman who had walked up to them. He only turned his eyes over to her when he heard her voice, noticing that she was speaking to Natasha. She didn’t look like a wrestler. Far from it, in fact. She was wearing a black pencil skirt and a blue blouse, clutching a clipboard to her chest.

“I just wanted to let you know there’s been a change of plans," she said. "Thor, your segment has been moved to the very end of the show. I think we can all agree that’s a lot better. Cap, like they said, you’re joining Sam out there. Here’s your script.” She handed him a piece of paper, and Steve nodded his head as he looked it over.

“Looks good, thanks.”

“No news for me?” Natasha asked, and snatched the piece of paper out of Steve’s hand. The woman gave her a smile.

“Nothing for you. I’m afraid that’s all I had.”

“This is going to be exciting. If all goes well, we should go out and celebrate when we’re done. What do you say, Steve?” Natasha elbowed him, and Steve shot her a lackluster glare. “Don’t you want to join us?”

“Join…” Steve glanced over at the woman, and then back to Natasha again. “Who’s coming?”

“I’ll be there. I’m sure Sharon wants to come. Are you up for it, Thor?” Natasha turned her eyes to Thor, and Loki frowned lightly when he realized it looked like he was trying to hold himself back from laughing. He felt like he was missing out on some kind of inside joke.

“Or maybe we should just let you and Sharon go out on your own?”

Steve’s cheeks were suddenly a lot redder, and he took the script back from Natasha, stubbornly staring at it as he shook his head. “No, that’s… I’m working out. Thor and I… We’re working out. We’re going to the gym. Right, Thor?”

He turned almost pleading eyes to Thor, who raised his eyebrows at him.

“I didn’t realize we had plans. I’m afraid I’m busy. I have something else to do after the show.” He put his arm around Loki’s shoulders again, who smirked as he watched Steve. The part about Thor doing him was left unsaid, but it remained obvious to everyone standing there, and Steve cleared his throat.

“Then I guess I’m going to the gym by myself.”

“Suit yourself,” Sharon said, pointing her pen at Natasha.

“You’re still up for drinks though, right?”

“I always am,” Natasha assured her.

Sharon was just about to leave when Thor said her name, and she gave him a surprised look before coming over. Thor introduced her to Loki, and Loki could see her sharing a quick look with Natasha before she shook his hand. He wondered what the two of them had been saying about him. He assumed Sharon had been hearing a lot about him from Natasha, and not from Thor. Still, it couldn’t be anything too bad, because she gave him a polite smile.

“Nice to meet you. Will you be watching the show from out there?” She tilted her head to the side, and Loki hesitated for a moment.

“I’m not sure yet,” he told her.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. They’ve put together a great one.”

“It’s true,” Thor agreed, and Sharon smiled at him before giving them all a wave, Steve following her with his eyes as she left. He still looked somewhat flushed, and Loki was incredibly tempted to tease him, but he figured that maybe that wasn’t his job. He could go easy on him this time. Either way, Steve left a couple of minutes later, mumbling something about finding Sam and Bucky. Natasha left as well, probably to give them some privacy. As much privacy as they could have in the middle of a crowded hallway anyway. 

“Does everyone here sleep with their coworkers?” Loki asked when they started walking again, and Thor laughed loudly, some people turning their heads to look at him.

“Not everyone. But we see each other all the time. Things are bound to happen.”

Loki nodded his head, even though it was difficult for him to actually get it. He had certainly never wanted to sleep with any of his coworkers. But that was probably because he hated most of them. Thor clearly didn’t hate these people. In fact, he seemed to love or at least get along with most of them.And Loki supposed he could understand why he did, in a way. He found himself to be quite comfortable backstage. They ran into some more wrestlers, and Thor stopped long enough to chat with several of them, always making sure to introduce Loki. Only a few of them seemed like they weren’t huge fans of seeing them together, but it was usually the ones who were supposed to be the bad guys. It was also people Thor didn’t seem to want to talk to, so Loki decided that he didn’t care. Let them judge. Let them think whatever they wanted. As long as it didn’t affect Thor’s career or his state of mind in any way, it didn’t matter.

They had time to grab something to eat about an hour before the show, and then they headed to one of the locker rooms so that Thor could get changed.

“I don’t even know who you’re fighting,” Loki pointed out as he sat down on a bench and watched as Thor took his shirt off. He caught a glimpse of a smile as Thor turned away from him, and he knew what was coming even before he said it.

“You’ll see.”

Loki picked up the item closest to him- which just happened to be a shoe - and threw it at Thor’s back. Thor let out a pained grunt when it hit him and fell to his knees, putting his hand on his back as he cursed loudly. Loki gave him an unimpressed look.

“I think you’re overselling,” he said plainly, and Thor immediately got back up again.

“You think? Guess I got to work on that.”

Once Thor was back in his blue and black outfit, he grabbed Loki’s hand and pulled him up from the bench so that the two of them could make their way out of the locker room.

“Do you know how to make a braid?” Thor asked once they were back in the hallway, and Loki reluctantly had to nod his head.

“Maybe,” he said. “I’ve braided Amora’s hair a few times. But that was years ago.” 

“Good. Then you can help me.” Thor pulled him into a room where there was a couch, a couple of armchairs, and a TV. They were the only ones in there, and Thor sat down on the couch and put his back to Loki.

“You can braid it while we watch the show,” he said. “You know what it’s supposed to look like, right?”

“I think so,” Loki said. He ended up having to pull out his phone for some references, though, keeping one eye on the television screen and one eye on Thor’s hair, which was very soft underneath his fingers.

Natasha and Steve joined them a while later, both of them now dressed in their wrestling gear.

“Why are you wearing that?” Loki couldn’t stop himself from asking, giving Steve a suspicious look as he worked the braid into Thor’s hair. “You’re not wrestling tonight.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t wear my gear,” Steve pointed out, and Loki gave his very American looking underwear a critical look.

“I wouldn’t call that gear,” he muttered, and heard Thor chuckling as he turned his attention back to his hair. Natasha eventually left them, telling them she had to go and get ready for her match. Steve was yelling at the TV while he was watching Doom fight Black Panther, Falcon entered the room just as Loki was finishing up Thor’s braid.

“You’re really wearing that?” he asked as soon as he got a good look at Steve, who turned his eyes away from the TV and raised his eyebrows.

“They thought I should. Why?”

“Seems unnecessary,” Falcon pointed out, and Loki nodded his head.

“That’s what I said,” he mumbled, and Falcon immediately gave him a glance, a smile spreading on his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“You must be Loki. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Too much at times,” Steve muttered, his eyes still locked on the TV, while Sam introduced himself and stepped closer to shake Loki’s hand.

“I haven’t been that bad,” Thor tried to defend himself, but they both turned their eyes to him, giving him equally unimpressed looks, and Thor quieted down again. Loki put a comforting hand on his knee to support him.

At some point while they were sitting there, Steve and Sam both shouting at the TV by now, Loki noticed the door opening. He turned his eyes away from Storm and Sif fighting each other to look at whoever had entered the room, raising a brow when he realized that it was Bucky. He already had his mask and goggles on, and Loki wondered for a second if he’d accidentally ended up in something that was supposed to be shown on television. When he realized that he was being watched, Bucky turned his head in his direction and put a finger over where Loki assumed his lips were, letting him know to stay quiet. Loki figured that whatever was about to happened had nothing to do with him, so he didn’t say anything. Instead, he watched as Bucky slowly moved closer to Sam’s armchair, raising his hands before he grabbed his arm.

Sam jumped, turning around with eyes that widened as soon as he caught sight of the goggles, and it seemed to take him a couple of seconds to realize who was standing there.

“Oh, go fuck yourself,” he said, pushing Bucky away. While he looked annoyed, there was no venom in his voice, and he even looked to be hiding a smile underneath those pursed lips. “Why do you always have to do that? You know how creepy you look with those goggles on.” Bucky pulled down his mask, revealing a wide grin, and Sam tried to push him again, but he quickly moved away from him.

“It’s almost time,” he said, turning his eyes to Thor and Loki and giving them both a nod before moving his eyes back to Sam. “Are you ready?”

“When am I not?” Sam asked, and pushed himself up from the armchair. Bucky put a hand on his back and gave him a light shove towards the door.

“Come on then. Get out there so I can kick your ass.”

“I hate you,” Sam muttered, and gave Steve a look before he disappeared out the door. “Are you coming or not?” he called out, and Steve quickly followed him, but not before giving Bucky’s shoulder a pat. Bucky threw a glance at the TV, where the women were still fighting each other, before he left the room as well, gently shutting the door behind himself.

Once they were alone, Loki slowly turned his eyes to Thor, who gave him an innocent look.

“What?” he said. “You don’t do these kinds of things at the office?”

“Not usually,” Loki said. He turned back to the TV, just in time for Sif to jump from the top rope and pin Black Widow to the mat. And she won. Sif was announced as the number one contender for the Diva’s championship, and that she would now have a match against Mystique at Wrestlemania. 

Thor had a proud look on his face, one that Loki tried to ignore. He squeezed Thor’s knee a little harder, and Thor pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Come on,” he said. “Sam and Bucky are up next. We should wish them luck.” He took Loki’s hand and pulled him up again, and Loki turned away from the screen where they were showing a video of Bucky attacking Steve before following Thor out of the room.

Thor led him through the hallway and over to a darkly lit area that had to be right by the stage, because Loki could hear the audience on the other side. Sam and Steve were standing by the wall, waving at them while they waited for the music to begin. Thor gave them a thumbs up, and Loki gave them… well, nothing. Sam put on his sunglasses, giving Steve a look before he turned around, jumping on the spot. When his music came on, Sam put a smile on his face and headed out, Steve waiting a moment before he followed him.

Thor pulled Loki away from there, not back to the room they’d been sitting in, but over to a television screen that was hanging on the wall, far enough from the stage that they weren't too distracted by the loud music. It gave them a chance to see Steve and Sam on stage, the crowd up on their feet as they cheered for them both.

“So Bucky is winning?” Loki asked, and Thor smiled, giving him a quick kiss. He wasn’t going to answer, was he? Fucking bastard.

Once Falcon and Cap were standing in the ring, they shared a long look, only turning away from each other when the sound of the Winter Soldier’s music came on. As usual, Bucky didn’t come down the ramp. Instead, he made his way through the crowd, walking down the stairs and climbing over the barricade. The goggles and mask did make him look quite intimidating, and Loki gave Thor’s hand a squeeze just as he climbed into the ring. He had a feeling that Falcon was about to lose. Badly.

Or maybe not so badly. Cap slowly climbed out of the ring, and as soon as the bell rang Falcon and Bucky ran forward. They locked their arms together, trying to push the other against the opposite side of the ring. Falcon eventually got the upper hand, something he managed to keep for a long time. Bucky seemed surprised at every punch that landed on his chest, every kick that made him stumble and almost fall to his knees.

Thor crossed his arms over his chest as he watched them go at it, and Loki put his hands on his hips, wondering if perhaps he had been wrong after all. But then Bucky turned it around, hitting back, blow after blow. Loki couldn’t help but notice how different their fighting styles were. Falcon seemed much lighter, using his legs a lot, keeping himself in the air as much as he could. Bucky was a lot...sturdier. He was using that arm that looked to be made out of metal to his advantage, and even though he wasn’t moving quite as fast as Falcon, he still managed to keep up with him just fine.

At some point, they made it to the outside the ring, both of them doing everything they could to get to the other one. Cap was following them as closely as he could without getting involved, a worried look on his face. Bucky kept glancing over at him, which was enough of a distraction for Falcon to turn it around once more. He managed to get Bucky over to the announce table, and the commentators quickly moved away from there while Falcon began to pull at the monitors and tossing them aside.

Just as Falcon was about to get Bucky on top of the table, though, Bucky managed to elbow him in the chest several times, forcing him to let him go. Falcon barely had time to back away before he was pushed against the barricade, where he fell to his hands and knees. He didn’t let that stop him, though, and when Bucky came closer he kicked him in the chest, producing a loud enough noise that even Loki winced. 

Bucky fell to the floor, and Falcon shared a look with Cap before getting back inside the ring. He moved over to the corner, the  audience cheering for him as he climbed up to the top rope. Bucky had gotten back up again, but seemed lost and confused about what was happening, and Falcon only waited a second or two before he jumped. Bucky turned around just in time, reaching out with his arms, but he only half managed to catch him, and Falcon ended up with one of his feet on the floor. Loki could hear Thor curse to the side of him, and he glanced over at him before turning his eyes back to the screen, where Falcon and Bucky had landed in a heap on the floor. 

The referee started to count, and he managed to make it to six before either of them began to stir. Bucky slowly got back up again, and looked like he wasn't quite sure what to do. He stared down at Falcon for a couple of seconds, but quickly recovered and pulled him up from the ground. He practically had to drag him back to the announce table, and Cap looked like he desperately wanted to get involved as the commentators were telling Bucky to stop.

“Is this your new friend?” Bucky screamed at Steve, pressing Falcon's face against the table. “Is this what you traded me for?”

“Bucky, don’t do it!” Cap shouted back at him, and Bucky simply snarled at him before getting up on the barricade. He looked Cap straight in the eyes, shaking his head before he rushed forward and jumped, landing elbow first on top of Falcon as the table collapsed. The crowd was yelling “Holy shit!”, and both of them were on their backs, groaning loudly as the commentators shouted loudly about what had just happened. Bucky was the first to get back up again, and it almost looked like he was waiting for Falcon to do the same thing, but then changed his mind and decided to grab his arm and force him over to the ring instead.

Loki assumed he was getting him in there so that he could pin him, but he simply left Falcon on his stomach before walking over to the ropes. He shouted at him to get up, and Falcon seemed to struggle, gritting his teeth as he tried to force himself up on his hands and knees. Bucky waited, and gave Steve another look before he rushed forward, jumping up and using his right foot to stomp Falcon’s head back down against the mat.

The crowd was loud as the referee got down, hitting his hand against the mat three times. The bell rang, and Cap immediately got into the ring, but Bucky slid right out of there before he had the chance to get to him. He pointed at Steve, mouthing something that looked like ‘You’ll be next’, before disappearing into the crowd once more. As the Winter Soldier's music continued, Cap moved closer to Falcon, putting a hand against his back as he leaned closer to him. The referee moved over to them as well, and as they kept the camera on him, Loki noticed with a frown on his face that it seemed like Sam wasn’t moving.

“Fuck,” Thor cursed again, and Loki shot him a quick look.

“What?” he asked, and Thor shook his head, never taking his eyes away from the screen as the referee bent down low enough to whisper something into Sam's ear.

“He looks like he’s in a lot of pain. Damnit.” Thor turned around, and Loki barely had time to realize what was happening before he had to hurry after him. The two of them made it back to the stage area, where there looked to be a medical team standing by. Loki had to admit, his heart was beating quite fast as they waited for Steve and Sam to return. When they did, Sam was being supported by not only Steve, but by the referee as well, and he let out a pained groan as they forced him over to a chair where he could sit down. Sweat was dripping down his forehead, and he leaned his head back against the wall as the medical team approached him.

They were still examining him by the time Bucky came rushing over from the other side of the hallway with a distraught look on his face, a sharp contrast to the cool expression he had been sporting just a couple of minutes earlier. He threw the mask and goggles aside and hurried over to Sam’s side.

“Shit, Sam. Fuck, I’m sorry. I should have been more careful, I didn’t-” But Sam stopped him with a shake of his head, clearly trying to hide the pained look on his face.

“It’s okay, man,” he said, and Steve took a step back as Sam reached out and put a hand on Bucky’s arm. “It’s okay. It’s really not that bad, I don’t even know what these guys are doing here.” Bucky didn’t seem entirely convinced. He eyed the doctors with a wary look on his face, and Sam pulled on his arm to get him to turn his eyes back to him. “It wasn’t your fault,” he said firmly, and Bucky nodded his head, sharing a long look with Steve.

Some other wrestlers passed them on their way to the stage, and Loki gave them a quick glance before he turned back to the other three. Thor looked quite worried as well, and when Loki turned his eyes down he noticed that his hands were clenched into fists. He moved a little closer to him, reaching out and taking one of Thor’s hands in his own. There was a small, grateful smile on Thor's lips when their eyes met. 

“Well, it doesn't look like it's broken,” a woman said, who was kneeling down in front of Sam, examining his foot and his ankle. "But we should take you to the back just to make sure."

Sam nodded his head at her before turning his eyes to Bucky. “See? Told you. Stop being such a mother hen. It doesn't suit you.” He gave Steve a look as well. “That goes for you too, Captain. I'm fi-” He interrupted himself with a loud groan, and both Steve and Bucky immediately leaned closer. Loki raised a brow, giving all three of them an unimpressed look. Wrestlers were even more ridiculous than he had first thought. Then again, he had a feeling he would have been quite worried if Thor had been the one sitting on that chair.

His thoughts were interrupted when that woman from earlier, Sharon, come over,stopping next to Thor. “You know you’re about to get out there, right?” she asked him, and Thor tore his eyes away from Sam and gave her a nod.

“I’m ready.” 

“Good.” Sharon turned her eyes to Sam, raising an eyebrow as she watched him. “You okay?” she asked, and Sam nodded his head, reaching up to wipe his sweaty forehead with the back of his arm.

“Never better,” he assured her, and she gave him a small smile before turning around and disappearing once more. Loki couldn’t help but notice that Steve seemed to be watching her leave again, and he had to press his lips together to stop himself from chuckling. It seemed like the wrong moment to chuckle.

“Sure you don’t wanna go after her?” Sam asked, apparently having noticed the same thing. Steve shook his head, and turned back to his friend.

“No. The only place I’m going tonight is back to our hotel room.”

Loki’s eyebrows immediately shot up, and he stared at the two of them. Had he just… Had he just said _our_  hotel room? Gaping, he leaned a little closer to Thor.

“Did he just say our hotel room?” he asked quietly, but Thor didn’t have time to answer before Steve spoke up again.

“You’re coming too, right?” he asked Bucky, who nodded his head.

“Yeah, of course.” He put a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Is there anything I can get you? Snacks? Food? Beer? Anything you want.”

“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Sam said, a wide grin spreading on his lips.

Loki was still staring as the medical team backed off and allowed Steve and Bucky to help Sam up from the chair. Once the three of them had left, he slowly turned to look at Thor, who gave him a knowing smile in return.

“What?”

“You… They’re… All three of them…” Loki realized that he was at a loss for words, something that didn’t happen very often. “Explain,” he said, and put his hands on his hips, but Thor didn’t have time to do that before someone came over and told him that he was up next.

“Sorry,” Thor said, offering him a sheepish grin. “I’ll tell you all about it when I get back, okay? Do you wanna get out there? I think it’d be more fun to watch from your seat.”

Loki nodded his head, and pressed a quick kiss to Thor’s cheek.

“Good luck,” he said, and allowed Thor to leave as soon as he had motioned for someone to bring Loki to where he was supposed to be seated. Luckily, he had some time to get out there, and Thor’s music came on on just as he was sitting down. His mind was still on the conversation he had just heard, but as soon as Thor stepped out on stage he immediately forgot all about it. Thor looked good, as usual, getting his posing over with before he grabbed a microphone and stopped in the middle of the ring, a serious look on his face.

“As you all know,” he began. “I’ve been…” But he didn’t get to finish that first sentence. The whole arena went dark again, and Loki quickly realized that it was a lot more unsettling when it happened live. He tried to see what was going on inside the ring, but it was impossible, and then the jumbotron lit up once more. He immediately turned his eyes to it, ignoring the excited murmurs of the people around him.

It was showing not just one of Thor’s friends this time, but several of them. Sif seemed to be celebrating in the cafeteria, while Cage was walking through a dimly lit hallway. Black Widow was sitting inside a locker room, and Daredevil looked to be heading over to his car. Once again, Thor could do nothing but watch as all four of them proceeded to be attacked by those cloaked figures. Neither of them stood much of a chance, being caught off guard and outnumbered. Loki turned his eyes back to Thor, who raised the mic to his mouth.

“Leave them alone!” he shouted. “They have nothing to do with this! It’s between you and me Thanos!” He took a step closer to the ropes. “It’s me you want! I'm right here!” As soon as he’d finished speaking, the room went dark again, and Loki held his breath, ignoring his quickening heartbeats as he waited for the lights to turn back on again. When they did, the cloaked figures were standing outside of the ring, all of them turned towards Thor. Loki counted to eight of them, and he shook his head as he waited for them to make a move. As soon as they did, all of them climbing into the ring at the same time, he let out a frustrated breath. The audience cheered Thor on as he tried to fight back, but eight against one was not easy, not even for him. He managed to fight off the first two, but then the other six gained on him, and the audience started to boo loudly as soon as they managed to get Thor down on his knees. Loki almost wanted to look away as they went on toto assault him, and he had to remind himself that it wasn’t real, and that they weren’t actually hurting him. At least not as much as it looked like they were.

When they finally stopped, Thor wasn’t getting back up again, and all eight of them made their way out of the ring as another message showed up on the jumbotron. Thor couldn’t even react to the message. He was on his back, breathing heavily, his eyes closed as he rubbed one of his hands against his forehead.

‘Stand down. Or you will lose everything.’

 


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I've posted a couple of videos since the last chapter. First, we have [Thor.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPeJ_rX53mE) Then there's a video with [Sif, Storm and Black Widow.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iycSjdXPjM) And a video with [Karnilla, Emma and Mystique.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV0FWjoVmi4) Finally, there's one with [Cap, Hawkeye and Hulk.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q19JuD3A8TQ%22)
> 
> Their looks aren't always perfect, but the game doesn't really allow perfect looking people. Oh, and when it comes to Hulk... My brother and I just picked one of the faces they had. We tried giving him some hair, but he just ended up looking... not very scary. So he has no hair. I don't know how scary he looks now, but at least he's big. Those of you who watch wrestling will recognize Brock Lesnar's theme. For those of you who don't, the beginning of that theme makes every wrestler want to run for their life. Which I think fits in this case.

Loki hurried backstage as soon as the show as over, not caring about any extra segments or possible dark matches. He caught up to Thor on the way to the locker room, and he came to a quick stop in front of him, looking him over to make sure he wasn't hurt. He seemed okay. There was no blood, at least. He was even grinning, and Loki gave him a light shove, refusing to acknowledge that he had been worried.

“I’m okay, Loki,” Thor assured him anyway, and pulled him closer, holding him against his chest. “It’s not real, remember? There’s not even any bruises.”

“Of course I know it’s not real,” Loki muttered.

“Do you want to come with me to the locker room?” Thor asked, and Loki finally managed to pull away from him, straightening out his t-shirt before he nodded his head.

When they got there, Daredevil, Luke Cage, and the Punisher were in the midst of changing, and Loki tried not to stare too much at any of their shirtless bodies. They seemed to be alright with him being in there, and Thor smiled as he led him over to the other side of the room. As soon as he’d removed the upper part of his costume, Loki forgot all about the other guys, too busy staring at the perfection in front of him to focus on anything else. He couldn’t follow Thor back to the showers, and he was left alone on the bench, Daredevil and Punisher leaving together after a couple of minutes. Luke was still in there though, and he turned to smile at Loki as soon as he’d put on a pair of pants.

“Did you enjoy the show?” he asked, and for a moment Loki wondered if he meant all of the half naked men he’d just had the pleasure of seeing inside the locker room, but then he realized that he was probably talking about Fastlane, where he had also been able to watch a bunch of half naked men.

“I did,” he confessed. “I’m very curious about Thanos though.”

“You haven’t seen him yet? Oh, wait until you do. He’s… something else.” Loki supposed that Luke would know better than anyone, seeing as he’d fought him. While Thor was still washing up, Luke went on to ask him about how the two of them had met, and he smiled as Loki told him the story of the very upset driver.

“That sounds like something Thor would do,” Luke chuckled, and Loki nodded his head, watching him for a moment before he spoke up again.

“You smile a lot less in the ring,” he pointed out, and Luke stilled for a moment, halfway through putting his wrestling gear into his bag. “Is that a conscious decision?”

Luke glanced over at him, and there was a lopsided smile on his face as he shook his head. “How long have you been watching wrestling?” he asked, and Loki shrugged his shoulders, telling him that it had only been a couple of months, still less than a year. “Let’s just say there are only so many characters to choose from. Either you’re the funny guy, or you’re the serious guy. They didn’t think I looked like the funny guy, so here I am.” Loki felt like there was a slight bitterness to his voice, but when Thor came back out again a moment later with a towel wrapped around his hips, the smile was back on his face.

“I guess I should leave the two of you alone,” Luke said, and clapped Thor on the back before he left. Thor turned his eyes to Loki, and raised his eyebrows.

“What did the two of you talk about?”

“Fastlane,” Loki said, and Thor nodded his head before he walked over to get changed.

“So,” Loki continued just as Thor dropped the towel and reached for his boxers. For a moment, he almost forgot what he’d been about to say, but then he shook his head to snap himself out of it and cleared his throat. “Are you going to tell me what’s up with those three sharing a room?”

Thor laughed, and threw him a quick look over his shoulder. “Are you sure you want to know? Maybe I should keep it a mystery.”

“I seem to recall you telling me that Cap was the only other person here you knew to be bisexual. So what’s going on with the other two?”

“That’s a very complicated question,” Thor said, and turned around just as he was putting his shirt on. Loki stayed silent, stubbornly waiting for him to answer, and Thor let out another chuckle.

“Fine, I’ll tell you." He smoothed out his shirt and put his hands on his hips. "We don’t always make that much money doing what we do. It all depends on how long you’ve been here, how important they think you are to the company, and how much merch you’re able to sell. Right now I’m doing pretty well for myself, and so are they, but it wasn’t always that way. A couple of years ago, when they had less money than they do now, the three of them used to share hotel rooms. It was easier that way. Less space, sure, but definitely a lot cheaper. And I guess they just... got used to it. They still share hotel rooms most of the time. Not always, but often enough. And I can’t really judge them for it. It’s probably nicer than sleeping alone.”

Loki nodded his head, not sure whether he was disappointed by that explanation or not. It was certainly a lot less juicier than what he’d had in mind.

“So, they’re not…”

“No,” Thor said, and shook his head, but then frowned and seemed to hesitate for a moment. “I mean, not that I know of. Steve’s bi. I don’t know about the other two. Sometimes I think they’re too close to be just friends, but…” He shrugged. “It’s none of my business.”

Loki supposed it was none of his business either, but he wanted to know. Maybe it had something to do with Amora being such a gossip and always asking him about the wrestlers. It must have rubbed off on him. Either way, he knew he would definitely tell her about the three of them sharing a hotel room as soon as he got the chance. Maybe that could even be his wedding gift?

“So how long until you need to get back?” Thor asked, and Loki blinked, a bit confused when he remembered that he would by flying back to New York in a couple of hours. He glanced down at his watch, a long sigh escaping his lips before he answered.

“About two hours,” he said, hating the disappointed look on Thor’s face.

“And here I was hoping I’d be able to take you back to the hotel room and have my way with you.”

Loki had been hoping for the very same thing, but there was no time for it. Unless it was a really quick quickie, but he wasn’t sure if he was willing to risk even that. If he missed the plane, he would miss work the next day, or at the very least be late for work the next day, and that wasn't something he could afford. 

Thor stepped away from the lockers and moved closer to him, holding his hand out to help him up from the bench. Loki watched him for a moment before he reached out and took it, meeting Thor’s lips with his own when he leaned down to kiss him. Thor’s hand ended up on his neck, and Loki was just about to move an arm around his waist to pull him closer when he heard the door to the locker room opening.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry!”

They quickly pulled apart, and Loki turned around, frowning lightly when he realized it was the same young man who had waved at them earlier. His eyes were wide, his cheeks a dark shade of red.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t… They told me I could… I’m really sorry.” He turned around to leave, but Thor simply chuckled and called out his name.

“It’s okay, Peter.” He motioned for him to come over, and the guy named Peter scratched the back of his neck as he approached them. “This is Loki. He’s my boyfriend.”

“Yeah, I… I kind of figured,” Peter said, still looking embarrassed as he reached out to shake Loki’s hand.

“And you’re a wrestler?” Loki asked, raising a brow at him.

“Yeah,” Peter nodded his head. “But I’m still down in NXT. I’m just here to observe. You know.”

“Did you enjoy the show?” Thor asked, and Peter nodded again, suddenly looking less embarrassed and a lot more eager.

“Yeah, it was amazing. Bucky and Sam were incredible. When he got him through the table… Wow, that was awesome. And you… When you started shouting. I can’t wait for Thanos to show up.”

“Show up?” Loki repeated, and Peter’s eyes widened once more.

“Oh, shit,” he said, and looked up at Thor. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to give anything away.”

“When is he showing up?” Loki asked firmly, turning to Thor, who gave him an innocent look.

“At Wrestlemania?”

Loki narrowed his eyes at him, and Thor chuckled again as he turned his attention back to Peter.

“So much for keeping secrets,” he said, and Peter hung his head like a scolded child.

“This is probably why they don’t want me up here.”

“Nonsense,” Thor said, and shook his head, reaching out to put a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “You’ll be up here before you know it. But you’re new. Give it some time. They need to see that you have what it takes, and as far as I’m concerned, you definitely do.” He gave him a smile. “Look, when’s your next recording? I’ll get down there and see you in action.”

“I’d love that,” Peter said, a bright smile breaking out on his face. “Maybe you could give me some pointers?”

“Sure. I don’t know how much I'll be able to help since our move sets are so different, but I’ll do everything I can.”

Loki had been staying quiet while listening to the two of them, and as he watched them smile at each other, he couldn’t help but think that this looked a lot like a dad trying to cheer up his teenage son. Not that Peter was a teenager. He was probably in his early twenties. Still, he was beaming from Thor’s praise, and Loki turned his eyes down, telling himself that this was not the time to bring back those doubts. Even so, it was obvious that Thor would have been an amazing father. Loki was sure that he would have been kind, encouraging, and incredibly proud of every accomplishment. Would he have wanted them to wrestle? Maybe. He was sure that he would have pretended to wrestle with them, at least. Hm. Them. Yes, he could see Thor with more than one child. At least two. Maybe a boy and a girl. They would have his blond hair and his bright smile.

Loki’s chest hurt as he fought to get rid of the image of two small children running up and tackling Thor to the ground as all three of them laughed. It was easy to see Thor in that kind of situation. But could he see himself in it? Could he see himself watching the whole thing with a smile on his face, his hands on his hips as he told Thor to be careful with them? He had always figured that he was far too fucked up to make a good parent. If anything, he was sure that he would just mess up any potential children, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

He only snapped out of his thoughts when Thor laughed loudly at something Peter had just said, and Loki blinked a couple of times, embarrassed to realize that his eyes were wet. He cleared his throat, turning around and walking over to the bench to pick up his jacket. As he stood there with his back to the other two, he heard Thor tell Peter that they had to get to the airport, and Peter thanked him before leaving the room. Loki’s shoulders were tense as he listened to Thor coming closer to him, and he pressed his jacket against his chest as if that would be able to somehow protect him.

“You okay?” Thor asked, and wrapped his arms around him from behind. Stupid oaf. Of course he would notice.

“I’m fine,” Loki said, and allowed himself to lean his head back against Thor’s shoulder.

“I’ll drive you to the airport,” Thor said, and pulled back from him again, instead wrapping an arm around his waist as he led him out of the room. The two of them didn’t say anything else on their way out, and they didn’t say anything for a long moment while they were in the car either. It was only once they were close enough to see the airport that Thor finally spoke up.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, and Loki pressed his lips together, trying to force himself not to snap at him.

“I told you, I’m fine. I’m just… I’m not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow.” That was a good enough lie, wasn’t it? It wasn’t even a lie.

“I wish you could stay longer,” Thor said, nodding his head as he pulled into a parking spot. “I guess I’ll be going to the gym with Steve after all.”

“Isn’t he taking care of Sam?” Loki asked, slowly turning his eyes to him, and Thor blinked.

“Oh, yeah. Then I guess I’ll be going to bed. All alone.”

Loki knew it was just a joke, but he almost wanted to ask Thor if he’d rather go to bed with someone else, someone who wasn’t him. He knew it was stupid of him to think that way. Thor had made it clear that he wanted to be with him and no one else, but Loki wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to let go of the those voices that were telling him that Thor would be much happier with someone else.

Thor seemed to sense that his little tease hadn’t been very effective, and he furrowed his brow, watching him for a long moment.

“I love you,” Thor said, and placed a warm hand on his thigh. “You know that, right?”

Loki nodded his head as he looked into Thor’s eyes. He looked so honest, so genuine, and the corner of Loki’s lips twitched into a small smile.

“I do,” he said, and reached out to put his hand against Thor’s cheek, brushing his thumb against his beard. “I do know that.” And perhaps this would have been the right moment to say it back to him, but because of the doubts that were still lingering at the back of his mind, he remained silent.

Instead of saying it, he leaned in and pressed their lips together, hoping that a kiss would be enough for now. Thor didn’t seem to mind. He immediately responded to it, eagerly moving their lips together, the two of them pulling back only once they had no other choice.

“When will we see each other again?” Thor asked, his voice quiet as they refused to lean away from each other.

“I don’t know,” Loki said. He honestly didn’t. The next pay per view was Wrestlemania, but that was more than a month away. How was he supposed to go through the entire month of March without seeing Thor again? Thor seemed to be wondering the same thing, and he gave his knee a reassuring squeeze.

“It’ll be okay,” he said. “We’ll figure something out. Maybe you can come to Raw, or maybe I’ll fly out to New York a couple of times.”

Loki nodded his head, and the two of them smiled at each other before Loki checked his watch again and realized that it was time for him to leave. He gave Thor another kiss, letting his hand rest briefly against his chest before he said goodbye and left the car, getting his suitcase before he headed inside the airport.

Even though the flight was a short one, he still wished time would move faster. He hated having those doubts back in his mind once more. He thought he had been able to let them go, but clearly it wasn’t that easy. The only thing he could do at this point was to keep reminding himself that Thor wanted him, that he loved him, and that he should enjoy the time he had left with him.

By the time he got back home, Loki had a massive headache, and after swallowing down two aspirin he went straight to bed. Sleep didn’t come to him as quickly as he had hoped it would, and when it was time for him to get up and get ready for work the next morning, he was absolutely exhausted. Still, he got dressed, and he went to work, and he tried everything he could to remain professional, even though every single word that came out of his coworkers’ mouths were making him want to smash something. It was probably just him, though. He was just in a bad mood. They weren’t doing anything wrong, they weren’t making any mistakes this time, he just hated having to listen to them. He didn’t understand how he could be so comfortable backstage after Fastlane, and yet be so… not comfortable around the people he had worked with for so long.

Maybe that was the problem? He was sick and tired of them.

He was sick and tired of almost everything about his job at the moment, though he still managed to stay true to his professional self whenever he was talking to clients, so at least that was something. He hadn’t completely lost it just yet. He still knew what he was doing, and he still knew how to do a good job, he just didn’t enjoy the praise he got as much as he used to.

When he got home that night, he called Amora to tell her about Steve, Sam, and Bucky sharing a hotel room, and she was thrilled to hear it, but not quite as thrilled when he explained to her that they’d only been doing it because of money. Once she had expressed her disappointment, she went on to ask him if maybe he wanted to go cake tasting with her. Her fiance had said to her that he would be fine with whatever cake she chose, as long as there were no lemons or raspberries involved, and she needed Loki along for a second opinion. Since Loki hadn’t really been much help to her ever since she’d started planning the wedding, he told her that he would come along, but only after she had nagged him for about five minutes.

He could be reasonable.

They stayed on the phone even as Raw began, and Loki made himself comfortable on the couch when Cap was the first to come out. He wasted no time before grabbing a microphone and addressing Bucky, telling him that Falcon was hurt because of him. Loki made a mental note to ask Thor about Sam, wondering if he was actually hurt enough not to come out there, or if it was simply part of the storyline.

After a couple of minutes of Cap standing in the ring on his own, Bucky’s music finally came on, and everyone turned their eyes to the stairs, waiting for him to appear.

“Would you look at that,” Amora said. “He actually managed to get him to come out.”

Loki refused to believe it until Bucky finally showed up, making his way down the stairs and through the crowd. He jumped the barricade, stopping for a moment to give Cap a look before he climbed into the ring. His music quieted down, and the audience let out an excited cheer as the two of them stood face to face. Well, face to mask. And Bucky was still wearing those damn goggles.

“You went too far last night,” Cap said, pointing his finger at Bucky’s chest. “Falcon’s hurt. He might miss Wrestlemania because of you. Do you even care at all?”

Bucky continued to stand there, not moving, not saying anything, and Cap looked like he wanted to curse at him.

“What happened to you?" he asked instead. "We used to be friends. Remember that? We were the best goddamn tag team around. No one could beat us. And look at us now. Huh? Do you see what you’re doing?” He still got zero response, and Cap took a step closer to Bucky. “Don’t make this worse. Why don’t we just… Why don’t we forget about this? Stop this now and this won’t go any further. Please.” The camera focused on Cap’s sad little puppy eyes, and Loki raised an eyebrow, waiting for Bucky to tell him that of course they could be friends again.

But no such thing happened. Bucky slowly reached up, hesitating for only a moment before he pulled the mask down.

“No,” he said firmly, still staring at Cap through those dark goggles. It almost looked like the two of them were about to start fighting, but then Bucky turned around and quickly made his way out of there. Cap was once again left standing inside the ring with a frustrated look on his face, and Loki shrugged his shoulders when they cut to the first commercial break.

“Well,” he said. “Doesn’t look like he’ll be getting through to him any time soon.”

“Of course not,” Amora said. “They’ll be fighting at Wrestlemania. He can’t get through to him yet. Trust me, it’ll be the second biggest match of the night.”

Perhaps she was right. They were certainly making it seem important. It wasn’t the only match they had to work on, though. They also made sure to give Sif and Mystique some time together in the ring. Mystique was quick to remind Sif, who was standing in the middle of the ring while Mystique circled her, that she had already had a shot at her championship, and that she had lost.

“Do you really think you’ve got what it takes this time?” she asked. “You can’t beat me. You’re just a sad, pathetic nobody, who thinks she’s got what it takes just because she-” Sif, obviously tired of having to listen to her, turned around and attacked her, and Loki stared as the two of them wrestled each other on the mat, not letting each other go until a couple of referees forced them to pull apart.

“Things are getting serious,” he muttered, and Amora agreed as they watched Mystique leave with a furious look on her face.

They showed some other matches after that, but Loki was only waiting for one person to show up. Once again, Thor didn’t appear until the very end of the show. Just like Cap, he stepped into the ring with a microphone in his hand, most likely about to address Thanos. He didn’t even get a word out, though, before the Hulk’s music interrupted him, and Thor quickly turned his head towards the stage, where both Hulk and Stark walked out. Hulk was carrying his Money in the Bank briefcase, while Stark held a mic of his own, looking just as smug as usual as they slowly began to make their way towards the ring.

“Thor, Thor, Thor,” he began, shaking his head. “Isn’t it time you gave up? Just admit it. Thanos is stronger than you. He’s overpowered you without even stepping a foot inside this ring. What kind of chance do you actually think you have at Wrestlemania when it's time for you to face him?” Hulk held one of the ropes up so that Stark could climb inside, and Thor watched him with an unimpressed look on his face, glancing briefly over at the Hulk before focusing on Stark.

“Face it, big guy. You don’t stand a chance. He’s going to crush you like an insignificant little bug, and then you’ll be left standing there. No glory, no championship.”

“Just get to the point, Stark,” Thor snapped. “Why are you here?”

“A proposal,” Stark said. “You clearly need help. Well... “ He gestured at the Hulk. “We’re here to help, believe it or not. You’re not enough to beat Thanos. But, with the Hulk’s help, it might actually be possible.”

“It’s a one on one match,” Thor pointed out. “He can’t help me.”

“ _Unless_ you make it into a no disqualification match,” Stark said.

Thor furrowed his brow, and stared at him as though he could not believe what he was hearing. “What kind of authority do you think I have?” he asked, and Stark tilted his head to the side.

“Just convince Thanos to go through with it. Challenge him. Tell him he would never be brave enough to have a no DQ match against you. He’ll take the bait. And then… We’ll help you beat him.”

Thor let out a loud, heavy sigh. “And then what? I’m no fool, Stark. What’s the catch?”

“The catch, oh mighty one…” Stark smirked. “Look, let’s be frank. We all know you think we stole this from you.” He patted the briefcase Hulk was holding. “But we won it fair and square. Your loss. So here’s the deal. We help you win the championship, you get to keep it… oh, let’s say three months, and then when my client here chooses to cash in… You won’t stop him.”

“Oh, that bastard,” Amora groaned, and Loki flinched, having forgotten that he was still on the phone with her.

“He’s not going to take it, is he?” he asked, but she simply shushed him, and Loki had to tear his gaze away from the television screen just to give his phone a dirty look.

“You’re crazy,” Thor finally said, and shook his head again.

“Fine, fine. How about six months?”

Thor clenched his jaw.

“Six and a half." Stark crossed his arms over his chest. "But that’s my final offer, big guy. We’re not that patient.”

Without a warning, Thor reached out and grabbed the front of Stark’s jacket. He pulled him closer to himself, towering over him as he gritted his teeth. “No,” he said, his voice even firmer, darker than Bucky’s had been. That seemed to be enough to make Hulk snap, and with a roar he charged forward, but Thor simply pushed Stark away and managed to catch the briefcase before Hulk could hit him on the head with it. He pulled it away from him and hit him in the chest with it, making Hulk stumble away, and he quickly dropped the briefcase and ran forward, holding his arm out and forcing Hulk over the top rope. He fell to the floor, and Stark quickly rolled outside, trying to help him up while shouting at Thor.

The audience cheered as Thor picked up the briefcase, studying it briefly before he threw it out of the ring, where it landed at Stark’s feet.

“You’ll pay for this!” Stark shouted at him, even as he and Hulk backed away, making their way back to the stage, where Stark finally managed to bring the mic back to his lips, dramatically pointing at the ring with his other hand. “We gave you a chance to work with us. Mark my words. You’ll regret this.”

And that was it. It was over. The last shot of Stark and Hulk faded to black, and Loki let out a sigh as he immediately reached for the remote.

“That was interesting,” Amora said, and Loki nodded his head.

“It was,” he agreed quietly.

They hung up just a few minutes later, and Loki sent a text to Thor to tell him that he should manhandle Stark more often, but also to ask him about Sam. By the time he was in bed, he still hadn’t gotten a response. In fact, he didn't get to read Thor’s response until he got up the next morning.

‘Sorry. Dark match. Sam will be fine. Just give him some time. He appreciates the concern btw.’

So they had talked about him. Or about his text, at least. As he got dressed, Loki wondered how often Thor actually did talk about him. From what Steve had said, it sounded like it could be a lot. Sam had certainly looked like he knew exactly who he was as soon as Thor had introduced him. Loki wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or uncomfortable. At the moment, he settled for somewhere in between.

Once again, he didn’t have a particularly nice time at work. It wasn’t bad, he was just a little stressed out. A client snapped at him, and Loki had to bite down on his bottom lip to stop himself from snapping right back. He was supposed to be the professional here, after all.

The following days were slow, too slow, and Loki felt like he was exhausted every single time he came home. At least he would get to see Amora at the end of the week. That was something to look forward to. They met up on Saturday, and the first thing she did was to comment on how tired he looked.

“You look like shit,” she said, and Loki could only muster half a glare.

“Thanks,” he muttered, and eyed her green dress. “You don’t.” She gave him a smile like of course she knew she didn’t look like shit, before taking his arm and leading him into the bakery. They were greeted by a sweet looking elderly woman, who led them right over to a table where they could sit down and try the cakes. She smiled and told them they looked like a very sweet couple, and Loki snorted as Amora quickly explained to her that he was her friend.

“I don’t understand why you didn’t just bring Lorelei,” Loki said as they waited for the tasting to begin, and Amora shrugged her shoulders as she combed her fingers through her hair.

“She didn’t have time.”

“Oh, but I’ve got plenty to spare,” Loki said sarcastically, and Amora gave him a smile.

“Exactly.” He rolled his eyes, and she gave him a more serious look. “Actually, I feel like we haven’t spent enough tme together lately. You’re busy with work, and that gorgeous piece of meat of yours. I’m busy with the wedding.”

That was certainly one way of putting it. Loki turned his eyes away from her when the lady came back with two trays, which she put down in front of them. There were ten small pieces of cake for each of them, and Loki studied them as she explained what each of them contained.

The lady stuck around while they tried the first five, reminding Amora that they could of course make adjustments. The important thing was for her to be happy with her decision. Amora thanked her with another polite smile, and asked if maybe they could get some time alone to decide. The lady looked a little startled, but nodded her head and left them to it.

“So,” Amora said as she picked up her sixth piece of cake. “Are you bringing Thor to the wedding?”

Loki almost choked on the piece he'd just put into his mouth, and he was left coughing for a long moment before he could bring himself to speak.

“No,” he said, and shook his head. “Of course not. No plus one, remember?”

“That could always be changed,” Amora said gently, and Loki gave her a sceptical look.

“Are you sure you would want to go through that extra trouble just for me?”

“Why not?” She shrugged her shoulders, made a face, and reached for her glass of water, swallowing down the green piece she had just tried. “If it means making you happy, I’m sure I could find a way around it.”

“You’re serious?” Loki stared at her for a long moment. “I... “ He hadn’t even thought about bringing Thor to the wedding. They were serious, but were they that serious? Would Thor really want to go to a wedding with him? “I don’t know if he would want to go.”

“Well, I know how you could find out for sure,” she said, and put a hand on his arm. “Just ask.”

Loki turned his eyes away from her, trying not to think about it as he picked up a piece with purple frosting on it.

“I like this one,” he said as he chewed on it, but Amora shook her head.

“We can’t take that one. It has lemon curd in it. No lemons, remember?”

Loki sighed and picked up the next piece.

In the end, Amora decided on a cake with strawberry mousse and white chocolate frosting. Loki certainly approved, though he personally would have made a different call. Still, it was her choice. She may have claimed to want him along for a second opinion, but he knew she didn't really want him to disagree with her.

Once they had left the bakery, they said goodbye with a hug, and he promised Amora that he would think about bringing Thor to the wedding.

He had the next day off, and he spent much of that time on the phone with Thor, the two of them trying to figure out when they would be able to meet up again. Thor was busy right now, preparing for Wrestlemania, and Loki could only get away on the weekends. He knew that they had talked abut him coming to Raw, but then he would have to take a day off, and that wasn't an option at this point. 

It was hard to come up with a solution, but Thor promised him that he would find some way to see him soon. He would fly to New York as soon as he had some time off. Loki certainly hoped he would be able to do it. It had only been a week since the last time they’d seen each other, but he missed him already. Besides, they hadn’t even had sex the last time they'd seen each other. And he needed it. Preferably as soon as possible.

He was quickly distracted by work again, though. The next week was hell. Pure fucking hell. He never seemed to have a moment to breathe. His boss kept bothering him, everyone else kept bothering him, and Loki wondered what all of this was doing to his health. Not to mention his state of mind. His blood pressure had to be through the roof at this point. Honestly, he considered not going into work on Friday, but then he decided that he could not let this get to him. He’d been able to push through so far, hadn’t he? It wasn’t that bad. He could do it.

Of course, he ended up regretting it almost as soon as he got there. His coworkers were practically running around the place trying to set up some meeting, the ones on the phone were speaking way too loudly, and a guy who had only been working there for about two montsh kept asking him about an add in the newspaper. By lunch time, Loki was about ready to explode, but he soldiered through it. His headache was getting worse and worse, and it was becoming significantly harder to ignore how his head was pounding. Finally, he could not hold it in any longer, and he ended up snapping at that guy when he came over to ask him about the ad for what had to be the twentieth time. Loki told him that he had to fucking fix it for himself, that he was not here to be his fucking babysitter, that he'd fucking had it with everyone around him, and not to mention this fucking place. Maybe it was unprofessional to use that word so many times, but Loki didn’t care any longer. In fact…

He’d stopped caring. As he stood there, his blood boiling and his heart beating fast inside his chest, he realized that he had officially stopped caring. He didn’t care about this crap anymore. He just wanted out. Out. _Away_. Why was he wasting his time here when he wasn’t even enjoying himself any longer? He liked his job, he liked what he did, but he hated the people he worked with. Was it really worth it? Maybe he would consider it worth it if he got a huge raise, but at this point, he wasn’t sure if even that would be enough to make him stay.

With one last frustrated curse, Loki turned around from the shocked looking guy, each step more determined than the last as he marched himself right into his boss’s office without knocking to give him a piece of his mind.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter wasn't actually supposed to happen. We can all blame one person for this. Thisdorkyficthing asked me about Loki bringing Thor to Amora's wedding. I honestly hadn't even considered that possibility, but then I couldn't stop thinking about it, and now here we are. The angst is on me though. Yes, there is angst. There wasn't supposed to be any angst, I just wanted them to have a nice romantic time together, but my brain refused to cooperate. I'm sorry about that. So, yeah. There's angst. But there's also quite a bit of romance. Hopefully enough to make us all a little happier. 
> 
> Oh, and I've posted another entrance video. This time it's [Crossbones, Luke Cage and Black Panther.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtSNCrBuvyw)
> 
> And I know that Amora's husband is called Phil. I would just like to make it clear that it's not Coulson. It's just some other dude named Phil.

He didn't get to see Thor again until two weeks later. This time he actually knew he was coming, and he felt a wave of excitement wash over him as soon as the doorbell let him know he had arrived. Loki tried not to rush as he made his way over to the door, not wanting to seem too eager, though he could do nothing to hold back a smile on his face the moment he saw him standing there.

“It’s about time,” he said, kicking the door closed as soon as Thor had stepped inside. Thor wrapped his arms around him and pulled him in for a kiss, and Loki wasted no time before jumping up and wrapping his legs around Thor’s waist, confident that he would be able to catch him.

“We’ve had to wait too long for this,” he mumbled against Thor’s lips, and got no more than a muffled groan in response. He could tell that Thor was just as impatient as he was, which was probably why they didn’t even make it all the way to the bedroom. In a matter of seconds, Thor had him pushed up against the wall in the living room, and Loki moved his hands underneath his shirt, trying to touch as much skin as he could. Meanwhile, Thor was attacking his neck, and Loki tilted his head back, closing his eyes when he felt Thor’s teeth sinking into the bottom of it.

“Higher,” he mumbled, and pulled at Thor’s hair. Thor shot him a confused look, as if he wanted to ask him if he was sure, and Loki nodded his head at him. “Just fucking do it.”

Clearly finding no reason to protest, Thor leaned in and began to suck on a spot higher up on his neck, and Loki groaned loudly as he tried to roll their hips together, which was no easy feat when Thor was holding him as tightly as he did. For the longest moment, the two of them did nothing but share messy, open-mouthed kisses. Loki combed his fingers through Thor's hair, occasionally grabbing a fistful and pulling hard just to make him groan against his lips.

Finally, Thor began to move his hips, grinding their bodies together to create some much needed friction for them both. Wanting more, Loki snuck a hand in between their bodies and fiddled with their buttons and zippers, his fingers trembling when he managed to pull their pants down. 

“Fuck, Loki,” Thor cursed as Loki began to move his hand over their cocks, trying to get them both off at the same time. “So good. I've... I've thought about this for weeks. Thought about you.”

Loki gave him a frantic nod, not knowing how to respond. Instead, he simply kissed him again, the two of them leaning their foreheads together as they brought each other closer to the edge.

In the end, Loki was the first to come, a broken moan escaping his parted lips as he emptied himself into his own hand. Thor was not far behind, and Loki put his clean hand against the back of his neck, brushing his fingers through his hair as he watched him shut his eyes with a groan. Thor rolled their hips together a few more times before he came to a stop, and the two of them slowly opened their eyes to look at each other.

“Hey,” Thor said breathlessly, a grin appearing on his lips, and Loki smiled back at him.

“Hi.”

Eventually, once they were able to breathe properly, he was let back down again, and the two of them cleaned themselves up before getting into bed together. Thor called for a pizza, insisting that he was allowed to have a cheat day, and when there was a knock on the door thirty minutes later he put on a pair of sweatpants before leaving the bedroom.

“I think he might have recognized me,” he said as he came back with the pepperoni pizza, putting the box down on the bed with a smile. “His eyes were pretty fucking big when I opened the door.”

“Of course they were,” Loki said, immediately opening the box and breathing in the smell of melted cheese and tomato sauce. “Have you seen yourself lately? Anyone would stare if they were exposed to your half naked body.”

“Especially you, right?” Thor grinned, and pressed a kiss to his cheek as soon as he had joined him on the bed. Loki simply snorted at him.

They both reached for their first slices, chewing on the pizza in silence. Loki swallowed, licking his lips as he studied Thor with a thoughtful look on his face. He waited a long moment, took a breath, and then:

“I quit.”

Thor turned to look at him, his brow furrowed and his voice sharp when he spoke up. 

“What?”

“I quit my job.” Loki reached for his second slice, trying not to let Thor’s stare get to him as he took another bite. “Two weeks ago.”

“Two weeks?” Thor gave him a confused look. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“I… I wanted to do it in person, I guess.” Loki shrugged, as though it was no big deal. But it was. Of course it was. Thor was certainly looking at him like it was a big fucking deal, and Loki sighed before he continued.

“It was time. Long overdue, actually.”

“Why?” Thor asked him quietly. “I mean, it wasn’t because of…” He gestured at himself, and Loki was quick to shake his head at him.

“No,” he said. “No, it… It wasn’t because of us. Or you. I was getting sick of it. I like what I do, but I didn’t want to work there anymore. So I quit. And I was even nice enough to give my boss two weeks notice. But now it's officially over. As of yesterday.” He finished his slice, wiping his fingers on a napkin, still avoiding Thor’s lingering gaze.

“So… What are you going to do now?” Thor asked, and Loki took a deep breath before he answered.

“I don’t know. I don’t know if I should stick to PR or if I should go for something else. But it's fine. I’ve got some money saved up. I don’t need to figure it out right now. Besides, this way… I’ve got more time to spend with you. Maybe I could watch another Raw before Wrestlemania.” Loki slowly turned his eyes up to Thor, who nodded his head, giving him a smile.

“I’d like that.”

Loki was just about to reach for another slice when Thor stopped him. He grabbed his hand, and made sure that Loki was looking at him before he leaned a little closer.

“I’m really proud of you. It takes a lot of courage to leave. And based on everything you’ve told me… I think you did the right thing.”

Loki certainly hoped he had done the right thing. He didn’t want to end up regretting this, but in all honesty he doubted he would. Not having to go back was a relief, not a regret. Now he just had to take a step back, figure out what he wanted to do, and then do it. Hopefully, it would be just as easy as he was making it sound in his head. 

They continued to eat in silence. When it came down to the last slice, Loki insisted on Thor having it, while he slowly sat up on the bed. He played with his hands, anxiously rubbing his fingers together for quite a long moment before he spoke up.

“I was wondering,” he began, keeping his eyes on his hands for now. “Maybe… Amora is getting married in one week. I apologize for giving you such short notice, but I was wondering if maybe… maybe you would want to come with me. As my plus one.” Loki was struggling to remember the last time he had asked anyone out. He had certainly never asked anyone to come to a wedding with him. And he was nervous, unable to stop staring at his hands as he waited for Thor to say something, suddenly wondering why he hadn’t just sent a text three weeks ago. It would have been so much easier.

When Thor finally did say something, Loki could practically hear the smile in his voice, which gave him the courage to look up.

“Are you asking me out?”

Loki let out a quick sigh. “I suppose I am.” He didn’t like what he was seeing, though. Thor seemed to be hesitating, and the enthusiastic response that he had half been expecting didn’t come. The smile slowly disappeared from Thor’s lips, and he turned his eyes down, watching the empty pizza box.

“How many guests?” he asked, and Loki’s chest clenched uncomfortably as he steeled himself for the inevitable rejection.

“Less than a hundred.”

“And how many of them watch wrestling?” Thor turned his eyes back up again, a lopsided smile on his face.

“I… I don’t know. Her sister does. I know their parents know who you are.”

Thor nodded his head. Loki understood what the problem was, and he let out another sigh.

“Forget about it,” he said, and pushed himself up from the bed. “It was just a suggestion, I understand why you wouldn’t want to…” His voice failed him, and he stopped on his way out of the bedroom, clenching his eyes shut. He tried to think of some way to tell Thor that it was fine, that it was just a stupid wedding and that of course he would be able to attend it alone. Asking him had been silly. Ridiculous, even. So busy trying to think of some kind of excuse, he barely noticed Thor coming up behind him, and he flinched when he slipped a thick arm around his waist.

“But I do want to,” Thor said. “Of course I’ll come with you. So what if someone recognizes me? What are they going to do? Leak our relationship to the press? The press barely cares about us. As long as the fans don't find out, it’ll be fine.”

A long, relieved breath left Loki’s lips, and he let Thor lead him back to bed. They threw away the pizza box, and Thor wrapped his arms around him, pressing a trail of soft kisses down his neck.

“I guess this means I have to get myself a new tux, huh?” Thor smiled against his shoulder. “But that’s fine. I was gonna get one for Hall of Fame anyway.”

“Hall of Fame?” Loki repeated, and Thor buried his head in the crook of his neck.

“Oh, Loki,” he groaned, and Loki put a hand on his head, pushing him away.

“The Hall of Fame ceremony," Thor said, ignoring the annoyed look on his face as he pressed a kiss to his lips. "The night before Wrestlemania. There’s a red carpet and everything, and everyone’s there with their partners and their families.”

Loki remained silent. Partners. He assumed that Thor would be going on his own then. Accompanying him to a wedding was one thing, but the two of them attending a wrestling event where Thor would be surrounded by colleagues and people he looked up to? Somehow he had a feeling they weren’t quite there yet.

“I’d take you, but…” Thor trailed off, and gave him a guilty look.

“It’s okay,” Loki assured him.

“Maybe next year?” Thor said, sounding ridiculously hopeful, and Loki didn’t have the heart to do anything other than nod.

“Maybe next year,” he agreed.

Thor left New York again the following day. He had to get ready for Raw, and even though Loki would have liked to come with him, he decided to stay. They would see each other in about a week, and he doubted he would miss him much in such a short amount of time.

It was incredibly strange not to have to go to work that Monday. He quickly began to realize that as much as he enjoyed not having to return to that place, he was going to get incredibly restless if he didn’t figure out what to do next. Soon. But for now, at least he could keep himself relatively busy. He went out and bought himself a tux, deciding that he needed something a little nicer for Amora’s wedding. He also bought an espresso machine she had registered for. It was a bit impersonal, perhaps, but she had asked for it. Besides, he was already planning on treating her and her husband to some kind of fancy dinner after the wedding.

He texted Thor to find out if he should write his name on the card as well, but Thor told him he would be sending Amora a gift of his own. Loki was immediately curious, but Thor decided that he wasn't going to tell him unless he sent him a picture of himself in his new tux, and Loki refused to do that. He wanted it to be a surprise. Thor had never seen him dressed up like that, and he wanted to know if he would get any kind of reaction out of him. 

He spoke to Amora on the day before the wedding, and she sounded incredibly calm and collected for someone who was about to say “I do” in less than twenty four hours. Loki didn’t understand it. He would have been a nervous wreck.

In fact, he ended up being nervous the next morning even though he wasn’t the one who was supposed to be getting married. Since the ceremony wasn’t taking place until six, he stayed in bed a little longer before he finally managed to convince himself to get up and make himself some breakfast. Thor would be arriving about thirty minutes before they had to leave, so Loki had plenty of time to get ready.

He didn’t take a shower until a couple of hours after lunch. Once he’d cleaned himself up, he headed back into his bedroom and put on the pants, the white shirt, the vest, and the bowtie. He stood in front of the mirror, adjusting everything until he considered it all flawless. He smoothed out his shirt with his hands, deciding that he wouldn’t need to put on the jacket until Thor was at the door. Instead, he spent a couple of minutes working on his hair, trying to make it look effortless and polished at the same time. He was interrupted by the sound of the door bell, and he ran his fingers through his hair one last time to make sure it was pulled back before leaving the mirror.

Thor was still dressed in his normal clothes, and he raised his eyebrows as soon as he saw him.

“Wow. You look…” Thor had obviously thrown all sense of subtlety out the window, and Loki rolled his eyes at him when he looked him up and down, licking his lips before he met his eyes again. “You look amazing.” He stepped inside, and Loki gave him a suspicious look.

“Don’t even think about it,” he said, poking his chest. “We have to leave in thirty minutes. There’s no time.”

Thor made a show of letting out a loud, disappointed sigh before he left him to go shower and change. Loki went into the kitchen, downing two glasses of water while he waited for Thor to come back out. When he finally appeared in the doorway, Loki had to put the glass down. He’d seen Thor in a normal suit once before, but that had been for a funeral. This time, he had clearly made an effort to look as nice as possible. Not that he needed to make much of an effort.

His hair was pulled back in the usual bun, and it looked like his beard had been trimmed. The bowtie was in place, and the jacket and the pants fit him wonderfully, snug enough without looking silly on him. He looked big, as always, and Loki couldn’t help but wonder if he would seem tiny next to him.

“Well?” Thor spread his arms out, even spinning around so that he could get a glimpse of the back as well. “Do I look okay?”

Loki nodded his head, quickly standing up so that he could approach him. He reached up, pretending to fix Thor’s bowtie even though it had already looked just fine.

“There,” he said, and ran his hand down the front of Thor’s jacket. “Perfect.”

Thor smiled, and leaned down to give him a kiss, his beard prickling Loki’s skin.

“We have to leave,” he said when he pulled back, moving away from Thor and grabbing his jacket. “Amora will kill me if we’re late.”

And he didn’t feel like dealing with her rage, which was why he made sure to get them out of the apartment and down to where the car was waiting to pick them both up. It wasn’t a very long drive, but there was a lot of traffic, and Loki toyed with the sleeves on his jacket as he looked out the window. He only managed to calm down when Thor reached out and took his hand in his, giving it a firm squeeze.

Once they arrived at the hotel where both the ceremony and the reception would be held, Loki could finally relax. They were right on time. In fact, they even had time to spare, and he smiled as Thor and he stepped inside together. They did get some looks, though he had a feeling that had something to do with Thor’s size - and possibly the fact that they were both men - rather than the fact that Thor was a wrestler. Loki pointed out some of Amora’s friends and family, and her parents came over to greet them both. Thor oozed as much charm as he always did, and Loki had to force himself not to roll his eyes when he even managed to make Amora’s mother blush with a well aimed compliment.

They had just turned away from them when one of the bridesmaids approached, and Loki put a hand on Thor’s arm, wondering if he would have to fend her off. But she wasn’t looking at Thor, she was looking at him, and Loki frowned when she informed him that the bride wished to speak to him. With a confused look on his face, he asked Thor if he would be alright on his own for a moment, and Thor motioned for him to go ahead.

When he stepped into the room the bridesmaid had shown him to, he immediately wondered if maybe he had entered the wrong one. It looked to be empty, but then Amora stepped out from what was probably the bathroom, and Loki's eyes widened slightly at the sight of her. She was already in her wedding dress, something he had only seen pictures of until this moment. The beaded bodice almost made her look like she was sparkling, and the dress was snug at the waist, showing off her hips wonderfully. Her hair had been pulled up in an elegant do, and her makeup was subtle but chic. For a moment, he found himself speechless, but then he snapped himself out of it as she came closer.

“Did you bring me back here just to compliment you?” he asked, though the teasing smirk he’d had on his lips disappeared as soon as he caught the look on her face. She didn’t look happy. She looked… anxious.

“Hardly,” she said, and stopped in front of him. “Look, there’s… There’s something I need to tell you.”

Loki felt a sudden tension in his shoulders, and he swallowed, nodding his head as he waited for her to go on. 

Amora sighed. “Greg is here.”

For a second, Loki was sure that his heart had stopped. He blinked, furrowing his brow as he stared at her. It couldn't be. It had to be someone else. Some other Greg. Some Greg he couldn't actually remember meeting.

“What?” he said again, his voice sharper this time. “How…”

“Apparently he’s dating my cousin,” Amora said, looking at him like she was expecting him to freak out any second now.

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“I didn’t know!" Amora raised her voice a bit. "Look, she checked the plus one box. She gave me a first name. That’s it. How was I supposed to know it was the same Greg? Lorelei saw him out there, and I... I thought you should know.”

Loki suddenly felt like he could barely hear what she was saying. Like he was drowning in the water and she was trying to speak to him from the surface. He turned his eyes away from her, moving closer to the couch in the middle of the room and sitting down on it.

“Do you want me to kick him out?” Amora asked. “It’s my wedding day, and I’d prefer not to make a scene, but if you really don’t want him here…”

“No,” Loki said, and shook his head. “It’s fine.”

“You’re over him, right? That’s what you said.”

“Of course I’m over him.” Loki snapped his gaze back up to her. “I’ve been over him for a long time. I just didn’t expect to ever see him again. Especially not at your wedding.”

Amora sighed, and slowly moved closer to him. She didn’t sit down though.

“It’ll be okay,” she said. "There are a lot of people here. You don’t have to talk to him. Besides, you’re here with Thor. I’d say you won.”

“Won?” Loki gave her a confused look.

“Yeah. I mean, look at who you’re dating - someone who could literally be a god - and he’s dating my cousin, who’s nowhere near as hot as she thinks she is. It’s his loss, Loki. And your gain.”

Lok slowly nodded his head as he let her words sink in. She was right. He was with Thor now, and he was pretty sure he couldn’t do much better than that. The wedding didn’t have to be ruined just because he would be spending most of it trying to avoid his ex.

Before he left the room, Amora told him he looked good, and Loki smiled, telling her the same thing. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and he tried to rub off the lipstick on his way back to Thor, who asked him if everything was okay. Loki nodded his head, though on the way too their seats he couldn’t help but look around, trying to catch a glimpse of him. They sat down, and Loki gave Thor a quick smile before turning his head away from him, attempting to be as subtle as possible while he scanned the room with his eyes. He couldn’t see him anywhere. Maybe he wasn’t there yet?

Thor managed to distract him by taking his hand again, and Loki turned back to him, giving him another smile. A couple of minutes later, Phil - Amora’s soon to be husband - appeared at the altar, and they waited another couple of minutes before the priest motioned for them all to stand. Amora looked beautifful walking down the aisle, and Phil had tears in his eyes as he watched her approach him.

Loki was definitely happy for her. Amora had found someone who could put up with her. Someone who loved her and who would do anything to make her happy. Though as Thor gave his hand another squeeze, Loki realized that he had found the same thing. Hadn’t he? Thor seemed willing to put up with his bullshit. He loved him, and he was trying his best to make him happy. Was Thor his Phil?

The ceremony was beautiful - if a bit dull - and Loki was glad when it was over and it was finally time for the newlyweds to kiss. Amora was all smiles as she hooked arms with her husband, and she winked at him (or was it Thor?) as they passed them.

“I should go to weddings more often,” Thor told him as they made their way out of there, and Loki shook his head at him. After a moment's hesitation, he took Thor's hand in his, glancing over at him to observe his reaction. Thor did not seem bothered by it in the slightest, and Loki let out a relieved sigh as he looked around at the other guests.

Amora had made sure that the two of them were sat next to each other at the reception, something Loki was grateful for because he didn’t want Thor to have to talk to a bunch of strangers who would undoubtedly ask him what he did for a living. The question managed to come up anyway, though, asked by a man with a thick beard and glasses who were sitting at their table. Thor shared a quick look with Loki before telling the man that he was a professional wrestler. The man raised his eyebrows, seemingly unimpressed, while the woman next to him gave Thor a serious look.

“That must be exciting,” she said. “Are you any good?”

Thor smiled at her. “I'm doing alright.”

Loki let his eyes fall. If only she knew that Thor was about to headline Wrestlemania. It couldn't get much bigger than that. Loki wasn’t sure if he was allowed to brag about that, though, which was why he remained silent, slowly turning his eyes back up again.

And that's when he spotted him.

He was sitting on the other side of the room, deep in conversation with a woman who had to be Amora’s cousin. Loki felt like someone has just filled his stomach with ice, and he shivered as he continued to stare, clenching his hands into fists underneath the table. He had always wondered what it would be like to run into him again. But here, like this... He had been told that he would be there, and yet he felt totally unprepared for it. He had Thor next to him, and his ex on the other side of the room. Those two worlds were not supposed to collide, and Loki felt his chest clenching uncomfortably when he realized there was nothing he could do about it. 

At some point, Greg turned his head around, almost as if he could feel his gaze on him. Their eyes locked, which sent an unpleasant shiver down Loki's spine. Greg raised his eyebrows, and Loki finally managed to tear himself away, slowly turning his attention back to the table. When he did, he realized that they were all looking at him, and he had no idea why.

“I'm sorry.” He cleared his throat. “You were saying?”

“I asked you what you do,” the man who'd asked Thor the same thing said, and Loki needed a second to remember.

“I quit,” he said, his voice far too quiet for his own liking. “I quit my job a couple of weeks ago.”

They man let out a sigh. Thor leaned closer to him as soon as the conversation had turned to other things, his voice quiet as he spoke to him.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Loki said, and gave him a brief nod.

He didn't look over at Greg again, but he also couldn’t stop thinking about him. He found himself unable to keep up with the conversation, and as soon as people had begun to dance he excused himself and headed over to the open bar for a drink. Loki sat down, drumming his fingers against his own knees as he told himself not to look. But then he did look, and to his horror he realized that he was coming over.

It was too late to run. Loki turned his back on him, desperately hoping that perhaps he hadn’t seen him. But then he noticed the chair next to him being taken, and he groaned inwardly before turning his head around, looking straight into Greg’s brown eyes.

“Loki,” Greg said, his lips caught somewhere betwen a smirk and a smile. His brown hair was shorter than it had been the last time he had seen him, and the beard was gone, but other than that… Oh, he looked exactly the same, and suddenly Loki wondered if he was about to throw up.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Oh, I’m not crashing the wedding if that’s what you think. I came with my girlfriend.”

“But you knew I would be here,” Loki pointed out, forcing himself to keep his voice down when he really just wanted to shout at him. “Why couldn’t you just leave me alone?”

“Whoah. Calm down, Loki,” Greg said, holding his hands up. “I’m not here to fight. I just wanted to say hi. It's not against the law, is it?”

“Well, then say it. And get out of here. Do you really think I’m interested in talking to you after everything you’ve done?”

“It wasn’t that bad, was it?” Greg shrugged as he signalled the bartender, ordering a gin and tonic. Loki gritted his teeth. “We had some good times. Why else would you have stayed with me for so long?”

“I don’t know,” Loki said. “I honestly don’t know why I stayed with you. I was an idiot. I’m much better off now.”

“With that big, blond guy?” Greg turned his eyes away from him, and Loki wondered if he was looking over at Thor. What if Thor saw them talking to each other? What would he think? “Yeah, I saw him with you earlier. I can’t say I’m surprised. He’s your type, isn’t he? You know, for the moment.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Loki narrowed his eyes at him.

“Well, no offense, but he doesn’t look like the most intelligent guy in here. Sex can only get you so far. You’ll get bored after two weeks.”

“For your information, we have been dating for a lot longer than two weeks,” Loki hissed. He almost wanted to throw in something painfully childish, like letting Greg know that Thor’s dick was so much bigger than his, and that Thor was a better lover than him in practically every aspect. Maybe that would get him to shut up and leave. “And he’s nothing like you. He’s a good man. He would never-”

“Never what? Never hurt you? Come on, Loki. I know you. You don’t want a longterm relationship. Isn’t that what you told me? You always manage to screw things up sooner or later. Give it time, I’m sure you’ll ruin this to. Just like you ruined our relationship.”

“I'm not the one who fucked it up. That’s all on you, Greg. You gave up on our relationship.”

“After you had already checked out. You weren’t interested in dating me anymore. You can’t deny that.”

Loki stared at him for a long moment, wondering if he was right. Was it his fault? Had he been wrong all this time?

“No,” he said, and shook his head again. “No, I am not going to let you turn this around. Fuck you. Our relationship ending was your fucking fault. I’m not the one who decided to go ahead and fuck someone else. Twice.” He noticed two people closeby turning their heads in his direction, but he decided he didn’t care. Fuck it. “That was you. That’s what killed us.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Greg said, still sounding too calm, too cocky. It was infuriating. “Keep telling yourself that you’ll be able to do it this time. Just don’t come crying to me when it’s all over.”

“Why the hell would I come-” Loki interrupted himself, flinching when he felt an arm going around his waist. 

“Is there a problem here?” Thor’s deep, steady voice was such a comfort to Loki’s ears, though he didn’t turn around to look at him, still keeping his gaze on Greg, afraid that he would do or say something to him. There were so many things he could tell him. So many things he didn’t want Thor to know about.

“No, no problem,” Greg assured him with a fake smile plastered on his face. “Loki and I were just catching up.” He stood up, grabbing his drink and holding it up before taking a big sip of it. “Just remember what I told you, Loki.” He gave Thor a look before he turned around and walked back to his girlfriend, and Loki shuddered, snatching his own drink and downing it all in one go.

“Excuse me,” he said, and pulled away from Thor’s arm, slipping down from the chair and quickly making his way through the room. He found the bathrooms and hurried in there, walking into one of the stalls and slamming the door shut behind him. At first, he thought for sure that he was going to throw up, too overwelmed by having to stand face to face with a part of his past, but once he had managed to take a couple of deep breaths he calmed down enough to leave the stall and walk over to one of the sinks. He splashed some cold water on his face, and had his head bent down and his eyes closed when he heard the door opening.

“Loki?” Oh, thank God. It was Thor. “Are you okay?”

Slowly, Loki turned around, his gaze flickering from Thor’s face to his own feet while he tried to figure out an answer to his question.

“I’m not sure,” he finally said, figuring there was no reason to lie at this point. “That was… His name is Greg. He’s my ex boyfriend. We broke up… Three years ago? Maybe five. I can’t even remember. It was a while ago. He… Actually, we broke up, and then we gave it another shot. Because I was too stupid to get it the first time, I guess.” He shrugged, letting his eyes fall to the floor. “I’m sorry. This wasn’t supposed to… I didn’t know he was coming. Amora didn’t know. Apparently he’s dating her cousin, and I didn’t think I would ever see him again, and I wasn’t ready for it. This was not how this day was supposed to go, and…” He trailed off, relief washing over him as soon as Thor stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him.

“It’s okay,” he told him. “It’s okay.” They stood like that for a long moment, Loki struggling to calm down, though Thor’s warm embrace certainly helped a great deal. Finally, he felt stable enough to step away from him, though by now he felt far too embarrassed to meet Thor’s eyes. Thor quickly changed that by gripping his chin and tilting his head up, and Loki let out a sigh.

“You must be so tired of this by now,” he said before Thor had a chance to speak, and he watched as Thor gave him a firm look.

“Stop,” he said. “I’m not tired of anything. Certainly not of you. Besides, you’ve had to comfort me too, remember?”

Sure. Like one time, and only because someone Thor cared about had _died_. Loki felt like he was an emotional wreck every time they saw each other these days.

“He didn’t hit you, did he?”

“No,” Loki said, and shook his head. “No, it was never like that. He was just… an ass. Such a huge fucking ass. He was an ass even when we first met, but I didn’t notice because… I’m an ass too. He just… He got worse.”

“I would never hurt you,” Thor said, rubbing his thumb against his cheek. “You know that, don’t you?”

“You would never hurt me on purpose,” Loki agreed, careful to make that distinction. “I know that. You could still end up hurting me, though. Or I could hurt you. Maybe he’s right, maybe I shouldn’t be with… Never mind.”

“Don’t talk like that. You deserve nothing but the best.”

Loki raised an eyebrow. “And you could give me that?”

“I could,” Thor confirmed, as usual making it sound way too easy. “If you want me to.”

Loki didn’t answer. He just looked at Thor, really looked at him, and for a moment he almost felt like he had never really seen him before. He supposed it was easy to realize just how good Thor really was to him when he had someone to compare him to. He could remember how awful it had been with Greg, and he knew how not awful it was to be with Thor.

“You know,” Thor continued. “For a moment there I thought I was going to have to get jealous.”

Loki gave him a surprised look. “Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, I didn’t know who he was. I just saw you talking to a handsome guy who looked at you like he… Let's just say I would have interrupted you a lot sooner if I'd known he was your ex.”

“Is that so?” A small smirk appeared on Loki’s lips, and he brushed his fingers against the collar of Thor's jacket. “In that case, maybe I should get back out there…” He made a move to slip past Thor, who quickly put a hand on his chest and pushed him up against one of the stalls.

“I don’t think so,” he said, and smiled as he pressed their lips together. Loki urged Thor to come closer, not satisfied until their chests were pressed tightly together. He parted his lips for him, moaning into the kiss without giving a damn about the two of them still being out in the open. While Thor slipped his tongue inside his mouth, Loki moved one of his hands in between their bodies, not satisfied until he reached Thor’s zipper. Thor stopped him with a hand on his wrist before he could actually do anything, though, even pulling back from the kiss.

“Loki. We’re at your best friend’s wedding.”

“So? Someone ought to be having sex in the bathroom. Might as well be us.”

Thor chuckled softly at his words, which was more than enough for Loki to realize that it wasn’t going to happen.

“As much as I would like to… I think it’d be better for us to get back out there. But I promise that when we get back to your place, I’ll do whatever you want. If you want me to pick you up and carry you to bed and pretend that we’re having our own wedding night, I’ll do that. But  if you want me to just fuck you against the nearest surface… Well, I can do that too.”

“How about both?” Loki suggested, and Thor grinned at him.

“We’ll see,” he said, and dragged Loki’s hands up to his lips, where he pressed a soft kiss to it. Loki blinked, not sure how to respond to that particular sign of affection. Luckily, Thor spoke up again before he had time to make a fool out of himself. “Dance with me,” he said, and Loki raised an eyebrow.

“When was the last time you danced?”

“Like this? Probably quite a few years ago. But I think I still remember how to do it.” Loki considered him for a long moment, weighing his options, before he finally decided that he did want to dance with Thor. This was probably his one and only chance to do so, so why not take it?

“Then let’s show them how it’s done,” he said, and took Thor’s hand before dragging him out of the bathroom and over to the dance floor. There were already several couples there, and they were just about to find a space where they would be able to move around when Lorelei came up to them.

“Hey,” she said. “I was wondering if Thor would like to dance with me.”

Loki eyed her for a long moment. Of course she would want to dance with Thor. She may not have loved wrestling as much as her sister, but she knew enough to want to dance with someone like Thor.

“Actually, we were just about to-”

“It’s fine,” Loki interrupted Thor. “Go ahead.” Thor asked him if he was sure, and Loki nodded his head, motioning for the two of them to go ahead. He wasn’t paticularly looking forward to having to watch Thor and Lorelei dance together, but he figured it was better to get it over with now. That way Thor and he would have the rest of the night to themselves. Luckily, he barely had to watch for more than one second before there was a knock on his shoulder. He turned around, giving Amora a surprised look.

“Are you ever going to ask me to dance?” she wanted to know, and he gave Thor another fleeting look before he nodded his head. The two of them found a good spot, and Amora pulled his hand to her waist, making Loki wonder if she was actually going to let him lead. They began to move, Loki being careful not to step on her dress, which was difficult when he already had to concentrate hard on keeping his eyes on her.

“Is everything alright?” Amora asked. “I saw you talking to Greg earlier. He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“He was being an asshole,” Loki shrugged. “So what else is new?”

Amora didn’t have an answer for him, though for some reason Loki had a feeling she was wondering if it would be okay for the bride to kick one of her guests in the balls. If anyone could get away with it, it was definitely her.

“Where’s Phil?” he asked to distract her, and she gave him a soft smile.

“In the bathroom,” she said.

“You… I’m happy for you. I really am. He’ll be good to you.”

“He better be,” Amora laughed. She was quiet for a moment, and Loki could tell that she was thinking about something again. This time he had no clue what it could be, though, which was why her words came as such a surprise to him.

“Perhaps we’ll be dancing at your wedding someday.”

Loki snorted, and Amora glared at him when he accidentally stepped on her foot.

“I’m serious. Will you let me be your matron of honor?”

“Sure,” Loki said, and shook his head at her, already deciding that if he ever did get married, he wouldn’t have any best men or maid of honors with him. 

They continued to dance for a long moment, but whe Amora began to notice that Loki had his eyes on someone else, she grabbed Loki’s arm and dragged him closer to Thor and Amora. Thor immeditaly turned to look at Loki, and Loki was about to step closer to him when Amora stopped him.

“I was thinking… I think I would like a dance with Thor. Maybe you could dance with my sister?”

Lorelei gave Amora an unimpressed look. Thor raised an eyebrow, probably asking for permission, and Loki shrugged before turning his eyes away. Amora refused to take no for an answer, and she grabbed Thor’s much larger arm so that she could drag him away from them. Loki let out a sigh, and pressed his lips together as Lorelei and he looked at each other. The two of them somewhat reluctantly moved closer to each other, neither of them speaking for a long moment as they danced.

“You’re a lucky guy,” Lorelei finally said. “I can’t believe you actually managed to catch him.”

“Neither can I,” Loki mumbled. He was sure that Lorelei would have loved to be in his shoes right now. But she wasn’t. Thor was with him, and even though it seemed like Loki was never going to get to dance with him, he would at least be going home with him once the wedding was over.

Loki was just wondering if maybe he should have another drink when there was a hand on his shoulder, and he stopped moving, letting go of Lorelei as he looked at Thor.

“May I cut in?” he said, turning questioning eyes to Lorelei, who shrugged her shoulders.

“Sure,” she said, and gave the two of them a look before she left them alone. Loki smiled when Thor held his hand out to him.

“Now maybe we can finally have that dance?” Loki accepted his offer, and the two of them both moved their hands to the other’s waist. Loki allowed Thor to take the lead, and it turned out he was surprisingly good at it. He didn’t step on his feet or anything. Then again, he supposed a wrestler had to know how to move.

Thor kept his eyes on him the entire time, and Loki realized that he wasn’t quite sure what to do with his own eyes. Meeting Thor’s seemed almost too intimate, too… too much. He ended up keeping his gaze pointed at his shoulder, forcing himself not to think too much about what they were doing. It worked pretty well, until the song changed and he immediately recognizd the tune. Oh, no. ‘Can you feel the love tonight?’ Really? Who’d picked this stupid playlist? He knew it was a wedding, but _come on._ Loki struggled not to roll his eyes, or possibly pull away from Thor and refuse to dance with him until they played a different song. Anything had to be better than this.

Somehow, he managed to lock eyes with Thor, and Loki wasn’t very good at figuring this out, but Thor looked so… well, in love. There was so much devotion in his eyes, so much love, and Loki wanted to ask him _why_. Didn’t he realize he was looking at the wrong person? Thor gave him a small smile, and Loki tried to return it, he really did, but he just couldn’t. He suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe, and he let go of Thor’s hand, almost stumbling as he backed away from him. Luckily, the people around them were distracted by Amora and Phil sharing a passionate kiss, and there was cheering and a lot of clapping as Elton John kept singing in the background.

Thor wasn’t clapping, though, and he certainly wasn’t cheering. He was looking at him, his brow furrowed as he seemed to ask without words what was going on. As if Loki had an answer for him.

It was too much. Way too much. The music, the way they were dressed, the mood, the way Thor was looking at him… Without a word, Loki turned around and made his way through the small crowd, excusing himself as he pushed past them. Finally, he managed to find the doors to the balcony, and he rushed outside, taking a deep breath as soon as he was leaning against the railing.

It took him about three minutes to calm down, and then he began to feel embarrassed, an uncomfortable hest creeping up on his cheeks as he wondered what Thor must think of him. He had convinced him to go, and so far the wedding had been such a disaster. _He_ was the disaster. He couldn’t even get through a fucking wedding without having at least two emotonal meltdowns.

What a joke.

He sighed when he heard footsteps behind him, not needing to turn aound to know who it was.

“Are you always going to come after me?” he asked quietly, and Thor crossed his arms as he came to stand next to him.

“As long as you want me to,” he said. Loki glanced over at him, only watching him long enough to note that the happy smile was no longer on his lips. It stung to realize that he had made that happen.

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking up at the sky. “I don’t know why I ran. It was just too much. The music, the dancing… You. The way you look at me, like I’m… like I’m something so much greater than what I actually am. It’s unnerving.”

“Do you want me to stop?” Thor asked.

“No. I mean, yes. No, of course not. I just wish I understood why.”

“Loki. I’ve told you this before. I know you’re not perfect. It hasn't even been a year since we first met, but I think I know you pretty well by now. I know what I’m signing up for, I know what this relationship is going to be like.” There was a hand on his arm, and Loki slowly turned his body towards Thor. “I like you. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. I’m not expecting you to change. If you don’t want to dance to Elton John, that's fine.” There was a pause. “Do you want to leave?”

Loki thought about it for a moment, before shaking his head. “No,” he said. “Amora would never forgive me.”

Thor chuckled. “Then we better stay.” He tilted his head to the side, and Loki raised his eyebrows, wondering why he was looking at him this time. “Maybe we could dance out here?”

“There’s no music,” Loki was quick to point out, and Thor shrugged.

“So?” He moved his arms around Loki’s waist, who looked at him for a moment before he started laughing, hiding his head against Thor’s shoulder.

“You’re unbelievable. It’s like someone pulled you straight out of some sappy romantic comedy.”

“Hey. I’ll have you know I’m adding some much needed romance to your life. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, I suppose,” Loki said, and hesitated for a moment before he moved his arms around Thor’s neck. He had to admit, this felt a lot nicer, a lot less pressure. There was no music, but that didn’t seem to matter. Not until Thor started humming in his ear and Loki had to press his lips together to stop himself from laughing again.

“I think I’ve finally found a flaw,” he said, and leaned his head on Thor’s shoulder. “You’re not very good at humming. I have no idea what song that's supposed to be. It barely sounds like a tune”

“If that’s the first flaw you’ve found, maybe you’re the one who’s idolizing me,” Thor muttered and Loki smiled as he closed his eyes, not saying anything else for a long moment. Out here, Thor’s arms felt just right around him, and Loki enjoyed the light breeze as the two of them moved, swaying their bodies back and forth.

“Maybe we should go inside and eat some cake?” Thor suggested, breaking the silence, and Loki reluctantly pulled back a little bit so that he could meet his eyes.

“Are you allowed to have cake?” he asked. “I don’t think this is the healthy kind.”

“I won’t tell anyone if you don’t,” Thor said, a grin spreading on his lips as he leaned in and gave him a kiss.

“You’ll have to do better than that. Convince me not to tell on you,” Loki whispered against his lips, and Thor chuckled heartily.

“Oh, I will. As soon as we get back to your apartment, I’ll have you screaming my name in no time.”

“Perhaps we could skip the cake?” Loki suggested, ignoring Thor’s laughter as he pulled away from him and pretended to be in a hurry as he moved towards the glass doors. Thor was quick to follow him, and the two of them headed back inside. They did stay for cake, and it was even more delicious than Loki had remembered it to be. He even licked some frosting off of one of his fingers, making sure that Thor was watching him the entire time. Just to let him know what he was missing out on by making him stay. Thor was just about to give him a kiss when Loki got some more frosting onto his finger and wiped it off on his nose, and he couldn’t help but snicker at the look on Thor’s face. Priceless.

A little while later, it was time for the bride to throw the bouquet, and Loki watched as the women all gathered behind Amora, Lorelei moving to the very front.

“Maybe you should get over there?” Thor suggested, and Loki shook his head. He even moved his chair a little further away from the group, not wanting to take any chances. He had a feeling that if he moved any closer, the bouquet would wind up landing right by his feet, just like in the movies. It always ended up in the arms of the one who wanted it the least. He had no intention of being that person.

Luckily, Lorelei ended up catching it, though Loki could have sworn he saw her poking some other woman in the eye in order to get it.

After that, it was time for Amora and Phil to say their goodbyes, and she gave both Thor and Loki a hug when it was their turn. Before she left, she told Loki that they would talk when she got back, and he nodded his head, letting out a sigh as he turned to Thor.

“So? Should we leave? I’m looking forward to that whole ‘making me scream’ part.” He ran a finger down Thor’s chest, and Thor smiled as he grabbed his hand, pressing another kiss to it.

“Let’s go,” he said.

On the way out, Loki spotted Greg and Amora’s cousin again, the two of them seemingly arguing about something that was making them both frown and cross their arms over their chests. He met Greg’s eyes, and Loki raised a brow at him, unable to hold back a smirk when Thor put an arm around his waist. He turned back around, leaning just a little closer to Thor as the two of them made their way outside and into a cab, where he let out a content sigh as soon as he had closed the door behind him. 

Oh, yes. He had _definitely_ won. 


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. It's now been more than a year since I posted the first chapter. I'm not sure how to feel about that. I didn't think it would take me this long to finish. But I also didn't think the fic would be this long. I thought maybe I'd write about twenty chapters or so. Of course, I also didn't expect such a great response. I figured... how many people in the thorki fandom actually wants to read a wrestling fic? But I've gotten so many kudos, and comments, and I just want to thank all of you for that. You're the reason I'm still writing. 
> 
> And speaking of finishing... We're getting closer to the end. This was supposed to be the last chapter before Wrestlemania, but then I realized I still had quite a few things I wanted to write about. So there will be one more chapter before it's time. Not that it'll end right after Wrestlemania. We should have about two or three chapters left after that, and then an epilogue.

“Say it.”

“No.”

Loki shuddered when Thor curled his fingers, and he pulled against the restraints, desperately wishing he had something to hold on to.

“Say it.”

“You'll have to do better than that,” Loki spoke through gritted teeth, a drop of sweat making its way down the side of his forehead. Thor cocked an eyebrow, and Loki was already beginning to wonder if challenging him had been a stupid idea.

“Oh? This isn't good enough for you?” He rubbed his fingers against that same spot, and when he wrapped his other hand around his cock, Loki couldn’t hold back a whimper. Thor did not move his hand though. He just let it sit there, around the base of his cock, and Loki pressed his feet against the mattress, trying to stop his thighs from trembling.

He was not sure how long they had been at this. Probably around thirty minutes, or possibly even longer than that. It had been Loki's idea. He had been the one to suggest that perhaps Thor should tie him to the bed and have his way with him, and right now he was seriously beginning to question that decision. His cock was hard and leaking against his stomach, and he just wanted to come. Badly.

While he was completely naked, Thor was still wearing most of his clothes. His pants were still there, though he had removed his bowtie and unbuttoned his shirt, leaving his chest exposed.

“Say it,” came Thor’s voice again. “You know I am not going to let you come until you do.”

“Fuck you,” Loki muttered, stubbornly staring up at the ceiling. Thor squeezed his cock a little harder.

“That's not what I wanted to hear,” he said, and Loki shot him a glare. He tried once again to pull himself free from the ropes that held his wrists to the bedframe, but Thor had done a good job and it didn't seem like he was getting out of there any time soon. Not that he really wanted to.

“Please,” he whispered, turning his head to the side in an attempt to hide his face.

“What was that?” Oh, that voice. Loki could practically hear the infuriating grin on Thor's lips. “I’m afraid I didn't hear you.”

“Please,” Loki said again, a little louder this time. “Please, just let me come.”

“And how would you like me to do that?” Thor asked, releasing his cock so that he could move his warm hand up and down his thigh.

“I don’t care,” Loki snapped. “Your hands, your dick… Whatever, just do it.” Perhaps he was breaking a little too easily, but it had been a long day, and after not seeing Thor for a week, and Thor denying him in the bathroom earlier that night, he had been desperate to come by the time they had made it to bed.

“As you wish.”

Loki turned his head up, watching as Thor removed his pants.

Even though he had said he didn’t care, he could not deny the heat that pooled in his gut the moment Thor reached for the lube and began to slick himself up. It had been far too long. He spread his legs a little more, biting down on his bottom lip when he felt the head of Thor’s cock against his opening. When he began to push inside, Loki closed his eyes and threw his head back, breathing deeply as Thor filled him up. The stretch was just perfect, and Loki eagerly waited for Thor to start moving.

But he didn’t.

Thor always tended to be gentle with him, but when more than a minute had passed without him moving a single inch, Loki opened his eyes again and gave him a confused look.

“What are you waiting for?”

The smirk on Thor’s lips was enough to make him want to slap him, and Loki furrowed his brow when he leaned closer.

“Actually… That’s not what I wanted to hear either.”

Loki blinked. Please hadn’t been the right word either? What else could he possibly want to hear? And how was Loki supposed to figure it out on his own? How was he supposed to be able to concentrate on anything when all he could think about was Thor?

“Just move,” he said, tightening his legs around him in an attempt to pull Thor closer. “Move, damn you.”

To his surprise, Thor actually listened to him, and that first thrust had him moaning loudly. Thor grabbed his thighs, holding him tightly as he began to rock into him. Loki wished he could have touched him. He wanted to pull on his hair, scratch his back, put his hands on his ass to make him go faster. But his hands were still tied up, and there was nothing he could do but lie there and take it, breathing heavily as Thor moved his hips against him.

“Say it.” Their eyes met, and Thor leaned closer, bending Loki's legs a bit more in the process. “Tell me you’re mine.”

 _Oh_. That’s what he’d wanted? Loki felt something flutter inside his chest, and he parted his lips, looking into Thor’s eyes as he spoke.

“I’m yours.” There was no hesitation, no teasing, no making him wait for it. After tonight, he was more than willing to say those words.

Thor rewarded him with a well-aimed thrust, and Loki arched into it, desperately trying to free his hands so that he could pull Thor down for a kiss. Thor leaned down without him having to do anything, though, and Loki met his lips halfway, their noses getting in the way before they found the perfect angle.

“I love you,” Thor whispered against his lips. “And I’m yours.”

Loki moaned loudly at his words.

“Then show me,” he murmured. “Show me how much you love me. Make me come, Thor. Please.”

Thor leaned back again, tightening his grip on his thighs as he slammed into him. Loki tried to meet his every thrust, knowing that he was so close. He just needed a little more. A few more…

He let out a muffled shout, Thor’s name on his lips as he came, untouched, spilling over his own stomach. Thor moved to pull out of him, but Loki tightened his legs around him, his chest heaving as he shook his head.

“Inside,” he managed to get out, and the smile that appeared on Thor’s lips made his heart skip a beat. It didn’t take much longer for Thor to reach his own release, and Loki let slip a weak moan when he filled him up with his come. Thor let go of his hips and pushed back his messy hair, giving him a tired smile. Loki watched him in silence, appreciating the view even in his post-orgasmic state. Thor always looked good when he was hot, sweaty, and shirtless. Which was probably why he had decided to become a wrestler.

Thor eventually pulled out of him, and he quickly moved to untie his wrists, pressing a kiss to Loki’s hand before he left the bed. Loki lay there while he waited for him to come back, feeling absolutely exhausted. It had been a long, emotional and stressful day. But none of that mattered now. Thor returned with a wet towel, and cleaned him up while pressing the occasional kiss to his thighs and his chest.

“Feeling better?” he asked as he reached out and brushed his fingers against his cheek. Loki opened his mouth, realized he was too tired to speak, and simply nodded his head at him. Thor gave him another smile, pressing a kiss to his forehead before he got into bed with him. Loki moved closer, and Thor wrapped one of his big arms around him, holding him tightly as they both relaxed. 

Loki woke up first the next morning, and he carefully moved Thor's arm away from himself before slipping out of bed. He decided that since Thor had taken such good care of him, the least he could do was to make him breakfast. When Thor entered the kitchen thirty minutes later he had waffles on the table, along with eggs, lots of fruit, and even some freshly squeezed orange juice. Thor looked impressed, and Loki was very happy about that because making that much food had involved quite a bit of cursing. It tasted good, though, so it was worth it.

“You’re coming with me to Raw tomorrow, right?” Thor asked after they had both finished eating, and Loki sipped on his orange juice as he raised an eyebrow at him.

“And Raw is in…?”

“Chicago,” Thor answered him, and Loki let out a groan. “It’s not that far,” Thor chuckled. “I already have a seat for you on the plane. We’ll be leaving in the morning. Come on. You have to come. It’s Raw before Wrestlemania.”

“What’s so special about that?” Loki asked, ignoring the grumpy look on Thor’s face.

“It’s the Raw before Wrestlemania,” he repeated, as if Loki would be able to understand it if he just said it a second time. “It’s like… It’s like the episode before the season finale. That’s what Wrestlemania is. The season finale, the big one, where storylines get wrapped up. And this Raw is where all the final buildup is taking place. You have to go.”

Loki nodded his head. He supposed Thor was right. Besides, they had talked about him coming to one more Raw before Wrestlemania, and this was his final chance. At least he wouldn’t have to fly across the country.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll come.”

Thor immediately lit up, and Loki considered picking up a grape and throwing it at him.

“You’ll love it,” he said. “The Chicago crowd is… pretty damn intense.”

“Intense?” Loki repeated. He picked up a grape, studied it for a moment, but didn't throw it. “More intense than the New York crowd?”

Thor tilted his head to the side, considering it for a moment. “I think you’re about neck and neck. You’re intense in different way though. The Chicago crowd is a lot more…” He paused, and shook his head. “Let’s just say they’re not going to accept any bullshit. If they don’t like what you’re doing, or who you are, they’re going to let you know. Loudly.”

“Nervous?” Loki asked, giving him a small smirk as he put the grape into his mouth, and Thor raised his eyebrows.

“Nervous? Me? Of course not. But we have other people who should be. I’m just gonna go out there and remind them why they should cheer for me.”

Loki rolled his eyes. So cocky. Though he supposed Thor had a reason to be. He was a damn good wrestler, and he knew it.  

After they had cleared the table, Thor insisted on heading to the gym, pointing out that he couldn’t be slacking off just because he was in New York with him. So he left Loki alone for a couple of hours, and when he came back he wanted the two of them to go out to lunch together. It was a sunny day, and it wasn’t too cold outside, so Loki agreed to it. They left the apartment together, and Thor got recognized once on the way to the restaurant, and once on their way out of there. Both times, he was recognized by families with small children, and Loki had the distinct feeling that they were tourists. Either way, Thor was more than happy to stop and talk to them for a couple of minutes, while Loki lingered in the background, watching as he posed for pictures.

“How often do people actually recognize you?” Loki asked as they walked away from the second family, and Thor smiled as he looked at him.

“Not as often as you might think. I mean, I’m not an A-list celebrity. I’m just a wrestler. But it happens. Usually at airports or outside our hotels.”

Loki wondered if that meant that they would be running into a horde of fans once they reached Chicago. Thor and he had never flown together before, and he had no idea what to expect, though he was sure Thor would do what he could to keep the fans away from him.

Possibly to prove to him that he was still perfectly capable of enjoying normal things, Thor dragged him into a movie theater to watch a superhero movie. Loki wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about it, though as long as he had his popcorn and his M&Ms, he could endure. The plot was predictably stupid, but at least the action was a lot of fun, and he even forgot about his plan of forcing Thor to make out with him.

When the movie was over they went grocery shopping together, and Loki wondered if things could get any more domestic as they walked home with the bags. Thor put on some music, and together the two of them entered the kitchen and began to prepare their dinner, Thor taking care of the chicken while Loki chopped some vegetables.

He was just about to ask Thor if this was what their lives would be like from now on when he was interrupted by loud moaning, and he turned to glare over at Thor, who reached for his phone with a sheepish look on his face.

“I’ve got to take this,” he said, after throwing a look at the display. “Is it okay if I…?” Loki waved him off, and Thor left the kitchen, thankfully putting an end to that ridiculous song. Loki continued the cooking on his own, getting the chicken into the oven before he washed his hands and wondered when Thor was planning on coming back. Not sure if it was the kind of conversation he was allowed to hear or not, he slowly made his way closer to the living room, leaning against the wall as he listened to Thor’s voice.

“No, that’s fine. No, really, Mom, I understand. It’s okay.” There was a pause, and Loki frowned lightly to himself. “Yeah. Yeah, I get that. You don’t have to worry about it. There will be other times, right?” Loki didn’t like the sound of Thor’s voice. He could hear that he was trying to seem cheery, but it sounded fake, like it was all an act. It wasn't something he was used to hearing from him. 

“Okay. Yeah. Jag älskar dig också. Hey.” Thor had obviously just hung up, and Loki waited a couple of seconds before he turned the corner and approached him, giving him a worried look. Thor let go of the phone, and he leaned his head back, letting out a long sigh.

“The chicken’s in the oven,” Loki said, stopping a couple of feet away from him. “Is everything okay?”

“I really thought they were coming this time,” Thor said, staring up at the ceiling instead of him. “I mean, it’s Wrestlemania. It’s the biggest event of the year, and I'm in the main event. Was it stupid of me to think that maybe…” He trailed off, and turned lost eyes to Loki, who immediately moved over to the couch. He sat down next to him, still frowning as he leaned closer.

“I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Of course it does,” Loki said quietly, not sure what to do now that their roles had been reversed and he was the one who had to comfort Thor. He wasn’t good at this. Not like Thor. “They’re your parents and you wanted them to be there. Did she tell you why they’re not coming?”

“They don’t have time to fly across the country. But it’s my father. I know it’s my father. He’s the one who doesn’t want to come, and… Look, I don’t blame my mother. I get it. I just wish…” He trailed off, bending his head down, and Loki sat there for a moment before he reached out and wrapped his arms around Thor’s neck, pulling him closer. Thor rested his head on his shoulder, and Loki brushed his fingers through his hair. It didn’t seem like Thor was crying, but either way he was obviously upset and Loki was going to sit there with him for as long as he needed him to. He deserved that much after every time he'd had to comfort him.

“At least you’ll be there,” Thor said after a long moment, pressing a soft kiss to his neck before he pulled back. “And I can’t wait for you to see it.”

Loki wrinkled his nose. “Sure. If only I didn’t have to go to Jersey.”

Loki still could not believe he would have to go to New Jersey in order to watch Wrestlemania. Though in a way, he supposed it seemed fitting. That was where they had first met, and now it was where he would be watching Thor headline Wrestlemania. And he would be sitting in the audience, cheering him on. As his boyfriend. It sounded pretty amazing.

Thor laughed at the disgusted look on his face, and shook his head before leaning in to give him another kiss.

They spent the rest of the evening relaxing, having a nice dinner before moving back into the living room. They sat on the couch, drinking wine, and… talking. Just talking. It was nice, and probably just the thing that they both needed. 

The next morning was pretty hectic, but they managed to get to the airport about an hour before the plane was supposed to take off. It was strange, to be at the there with Thor. It was also strange to sit next to him on the plane. Loki wondered if this was what it would be like if he decided to work from home and had enough time to travel alongside Thor wherever he went.

The almost three hours they spent on the plane went by in a flash, and once it was time to get off, Thor pulled him aside and told him that it would probably be a good idea for the two of them to make their separate ways out of the airport.

“I’m fine with them bothering me, but there’s no reason for you to get involved.”

“Because you don’t want to be seen with me,” Loki added, and Thor shook his head.

“It’s not about that.”

Loki raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, that’s part of it. But mostly I just think it’ll be easier if I handle this on my own.”

“Do they know you’re coming?” Loki assumed it would be more difficult for them to know when he would be arriving if he was travelling without the other wrestlers. Then again, if some fans were flying to Chicago for this apparently very special episode of Raw, there was a chance a few of them would be there. 

Finally, Loki agreed to it, and he slipped on his sunglasses before making his way past Thor. Obviously there were a lot of people at the airport, and it was hard to tell whether any of them were fans. He thought he saw a couple of people wearing wrestling shirts, but they all had jackets on and Loki didn’t want to stare at them for too long.

He waited for his bag, spotting Thor a couple of feet away from him. He didn’t seem to be surrounded by fans yet. Loki almost felt like some sort of spy on a secret mission as the two of them shared a look. As soon as he'd grabbed his bag, he gave Thor another brief glance before he walked away. It was only when he was on his way out that he heard excited chattering behind him, and he turned around, watching as Thor talked to two young men, while another five hovered in the background, probably waiting for him to acknowledge them as well.

Loki watched them for a moment longer before he turned around and left, waiting right outside the airport for Thor to join him. Once he finally did, he gave him a smile, and the two of them got into a cab that would take them to their hotel.

“Don’t you ever get sick of that?” Loki asked while they were in the car. “I guess it was fine now, but what if you’re exhausted, and you just want to get to wherever you’re supposed to go, and they show up and want your picture?”

“I’m not always as enthusiastic as I was today, sure,” Thor admitted. “But… you know. I just try not to be rude. Unless they're assholes.”

It was probably a good thing that Thor had told him to go ahead. Loki had a feeling he wouldn't have bothered to check if any of them were assholes.

They made it to the hotel and checked in before heading up to their room. While he unlocked the door, Thor informed him that they were not the only ones staying there. He was pretty sure that Sam, Bucky, Steve and Natasha were there too. And possibly some other people. Of course, Loki immediately asked him if Steve, Sam and Bucky were sleeping in the same room, and Thor shrugged his shoulders and told him he wasn’t sure.

“I think Steve and Bucky might be staying away from each other.”

“Why?” Loki asked, and put his bag next to the bed. “Did they have a fight?”

“No,” Thor chuckled. “But they’re about to have one. Call it method acting, if you will. They’re trying to stay away from each other until Wrestlemania. Sam thinks they’re crazy, but… I kind of get it. I wouldn’t have wanted to spend any time with Thanos. You know, if he'd actually been around.”

“Speaking of Thanos…” Loki tilted his head to the side, and slowly made his way over to Thor, who gave him a suspicious look. “When will I get to see him? Will he be there tonight?”

“You know, you could just google him,” Thor pointed out, and Loki crossed his arms over his chest.

“You’re avoiding the question,” he pointed out. “Just tell me.”

“He…” Thor sighed, and hung his head for a couple of seconds. “He might finally be showing up on the titantron. There. Happy?”

Loki gave him a long look, studying Thor’s face.

“Why? Those creepy messages aren’t enough for him anymore?”

“What can I say?” Thor shrugged, and gave his chest a pat before he moved away from him. “Maybe he decided he’s even more intimidating when we can all see his face? If you’d seen him, you’d understand.”

Thor stepped into the bathroom, and Loki walked over to his bag, rummaging through it until he found his usual Thor shirt. He put it on, and Thor smiled when he came back out and saw it.

“Aren’t you getting sick of that one?” he asked him. “There are other shirts, you know.”

“I don’t want anyone else’s shirt,” Loki pointed out, giving him a proud look as he stood up to let Thor look at it, as if he had never seen his own shirt before.

“Sure, but I have other shirts.”

Loki raised his eyebrows. “You do? Since when?”

“Since… I can’t remember. But they’re definitely there. Now, come on. Are you ready to get going?”

“Just give me a minute,” Loki said, immediately reaching for his phone so that he could go online and find those other shirts. Thor chuckled at him before grabbing his arm and dragging him out of there.

Someone called out Thor’s name when they made it down to the lobby, and they turned around to find Steve and Natasha watching them. Steve asked if they needed a ride to the arena, and Thor nodded his head, which led to the four of them making their way outside.

Loki was still busy looking at his phone, and Natasha asked him what could possibly be so interesting. When she saw what he was looking at, there was a smirk on her lips, and Loki assured her that he was just doing some very important research. He was just about to order two shirts and a hoodie when Natasha pointed out that he could just buy them at the arena, and Loki blinked before slipping his phone into his pocket. 

"Good idea."

He finally looked up at the other three, and tilted his head to the side when he saw that Cap was carrying his United States championship belt over his shoulder. Loki glanced away from him, wondering if there were any cameras around.

“Did you steal that?” he asked him, and the other three laughed as they all got into the car - Thor and Steve in the front, and Natasha and Loki in the back.

“Not exactly,” Steve said.

“We have to carry those around,” Thor told him. “Once you've got a belt, it's your responsibility.”

Loki furrowed his brow, a confused look on his face. “Wait,” he began, and shook his head. “Are you telling me they let you have those? I thought they would be transported in some kind of… high security briefcases or something. They actually let you carry them around?”

“Yeah,” all three of them said at the same time.

Loki considered this newly found information for a long moment, tapping his fingers against his thigh while he thought about it.

“So if you do win the match on Sunday, you’ll get to carry that belt around with you?” he asked Thor, who turned his head around to look at him.

“Yeah. Cool, huh?”

“Very,” Loki said, immediately wondering if he would be able to get Thor to wear it in the bedroom. Why have the title at home with him if he wasn’t going to use it in… other, more interesting situations?

Thor seemed to understand what he was thinking about, and he chuckled as he turned his eyes forward.

“What?” Steve asked, and glanced over at him. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” Thor said, and shrugged his shoulders.

“I was just thinking about… other uses for that belt,” Loki confessed, and Natasha snorted next to him.

“Wait, what…” Finally, it seemed like Steve got it, and he turned his eyes off the road to give him a look. “Ah, jeez. Come on. That's not a mental image I needed. It’s bad enough that I know the two of you… you know. Did it in the ring.”

Thor laughed loudly at that, and even Loki couldn’t help but smile when Steve shook his head at the two of them.

When they finally arrived outside the arena, Loki got out of the car and followed Thor and the others over to the right door. A big guy dressed in all black made sure that their names were on the list, though he gave Loki a suspicious look before letting him pass. Once they were inside, they went their separate ways, Cap leaving to look for Sam, and Natasha mentioning something about wanting to talk to Sif.

Thor let him know that he had some stuff he needed to do as well, but he could bring him to the cafeteria where he would be able to wait for him.

“And let me sit on my own?” Loki snorted. “It’ll be like high school all over again.”

When they got there, though, he did see quite a few people he recognized. Sif and Storm were sitting at one table, while Sam had been joined by Daredevil, Punisher, and a guy Loki did not know. Thor immediately headed over to to their tables and informed Sif that Natasha was looking for her.

"It's probably about those shoes you borrowed from her last week," Storm said as they both stood up, but Sif shook her head.

"I gave those back to her already. Maybe she wants to talk about our match?" She gave Thor a quick thank you before leaving the table, Storm following her. They both turned their eyes to Loki as they passed, Sif giving him a quick nod. As soon as they had left, Thor turned to Sam and told him that Steve was looking for him. Sam didn't move from his chair though. Instead, he put his arms behind his head and looked up at Thor with a smile. 

"He'll just have to come find me then, won't he?"

Thor bowed his head at him before returning to Loki, who raised an eyebrow at him. 

“So. You think you’ll be alright for a little while?” Thor asked, and Loki nodded his head, assuring him that he would be fine. Once he had been left alone, he walked over and sat down at the table Sif and Storm had just left. He pulled out his phone and checked his emails, surprised to see that he only had three new ones, and it was all spam. He supposed this was what it was like not to have a job. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Punisher and Daredevil leaving, and he was just about to turn back to his phone when someone said his name.

“Loki, right?”

He slowly turned to look at Sam, who gave him a smile. “Why don’t you sit over here? There’s plenty of room. In fact, T’challa was just leaving.” He motioned at the other guy, who stood up and turned his eyes to Loki. The man was handsome, too handsome to actually be forgotten, and Lok did not understand how he could not recognize him when Sam obviously expected him to. Was he a wrestler? He had never seen him out there. 

“It takes a while to get into my costume,” he explained, an amused look on his face when Loki didn’t react. “You do not recognize me.”

“Give him a minute,” Sam said, and Loki narrowed his eyes. That voice. He may not have known that face, but he did recognize that voice. Wait…

“Black Panther?” he guessed, and Sam’s smile widened.

“See? You can’t hide it.”

T’Challa gave Sam a look, and told Loki he hoped he would enjoy the show before leaving the cafeteria.

"Shame, right?" Sam said while Loki turned his eyes back to him. "Why anyone would hide that face behind a mask is beyond me."

Loki hesitated for a moment before he sat down.

“How’s the foot?” he asked, and Sam glanced down.

“Oh, it’s fine,” he said. “Better than ever actually.”

“That's not what you said a month ago.” They both turned their heads to look at Bucky, who had an unimpressed look on his face as he approached the table. He was dressed in jeans and a dark blue t-shirt, and Loki couldn't help but notice that he definitely seemed a little smaller when he wasn’t wearing his costume. Not that he was small, but that outfit was supposed to be intimidating, and… Well, the man now sitting down next to Sam was anything but. "You didn't stop complaining for weeks. Steve and I thought we were gonna go cazy."

“He doesn’t need to know that,” Sam said, gesturing at Loki. “It didn’t hurt that much. I was just exaggerating a bit. Or a lot," he added when he saw the look on Bucky's face. "It was totally worth it.”

“Then you’re an ass,” Bucky said.

“Oh, is that how it is? You want to go again, metal man? I swear, I’ll take you this time.”

“You wouldn’t even come close.”

Loki suddenly felt like he was in the way of their banter, and he wondered if he was supposed to move to another table and just let the two of them go at it until they eventually ended up fighting each other on the floor. Or maybe he was supposed to encourage them? He wouldn't mind causing a little drama. Though that was difficult when he didn’t actually know them. He had no idea how to push their buttons.

Either way, he simply sat there for what had to be at least three or four minutes until the two of them finally turned to look at him again.

“Loki,” Sam began. “You seem like a… smart guy. Sensible. Intelligent.”

“Kiss ass,” Bucky muttered under his breath.

“Who do you think would win in a fight? An actual fight? No rules, no chosen winner. Just the two of us inside that ring. It would be me, right?”

Loki slowly tilted his head to the side, opening and closing his mouth again. He cleared his throat, and shrugged his shoulders as he stood up.

“Why don’t you find out?” he asked, and left the two of them to it as he walked away from there. He could only stay in the cafeteria for so long. He knew that he probably wasn’t supposed to be walking around on his own, but… what harm could it do? He wasn’t going to touch anything. Yet.

The people walking past him as he strolled through the hallway didn’t really seem to care about him. Luckily, he was wearing his jacket over his shirt, or else they probably would have suspected him of being some crazy stalker. As long as he hid the shirt, it seemed like they would let him be. Or maybe they all knew he was with Thor because the big oaf had gone around telling everyone?

He slipped inside a room that seemed to have been set up for hair and makeup. No one was in there at the moment, though. Maybe it was too early for them to start getting ready? Either way, Loki walked around, picking up a lipstick here, and an eyeshadow palette there, while wondering what would happen if he simply… threw some of it away? Or what if he picked up all the spray bottles he could find and hid them in a closet somewhere? What would the wrestlers do if they couldn’t wet their hair before walking out to the ring? Oh, the tragedy. 

With a sigh, he left the room and continued his exploring, finally coming across some big boxes. He watched as some people opened them up, revealing a pair of familiar outfits. Loki knew he would have to wait for them to leave the boxes alone, but he wondered if he would be able to find the Hulk’s trunks in there. If so, he would just have to get a pair of scissors, and then he could just-

“Are you supposed to be back here?”

Loki whirled around, coming face to face with none other than Stark. Great.

“What are you up to?” Stark asked, raising an eyebrow at him from behind his sunglasses. As if he actually needed those indoors. What an ass. “Trying to get a leg up on the competition?”

“Competition?” Loki looked over at the costumes before turning back to Stark. “It’s not my competiton.”

“No, but it’s your.. What do you call each other? Cupcake? Muffin? Some other kind of pastry? _He’s_ got a lot of competition. And if you’re looking for my client’s wrestling gear, I’m afraid it’s not here. He’s already wearing it.”

Loki pursed his lips, turning away from Stark as he watched a woman pulling out what looked to be Storm’s outfit.

“Does Thor know you managed to get away from your leash? I really think he should be told.”

Loki snorted. “And what about you, Stark? Where’s your trusted guard dog?”

“He’s… roaming.” Stark came to stand next to him, and Loki suddenly felt like he should have been wearing a suit. He didn’t want Stark to think that he was somehow more important than him. Loki’s chest clenched as he wondered if he knew that he’d quit his job. He didn’t want that thrown back in his face.

Almost as if he’d been reading his thoughts, Stark proceeded to tell him that he’d heard about him quitting, and Loki groaned inwardly, wondering if it was too late to simply… hit Stark with a chair and run away from there. He could be a wrestlers for a couple of seconds, couldn’t he?

“It’s none of your business,” he told him.

“Right. And have you thought about what you want to do next?”

“What did I just tell you?” Loki asked, turning to glare at him. “Don’t you have something better to do? Like protecting that stupid briefcase with your life?”

“That stupid briefcase happens to be the key to our success. You’re just mad your guy didn’t get it.”

Loki rolled his eyes, and watched as Stark pulled a cellphone out of his pocket.

“Looks like I need to get going.” He pressed a button and put the phone against his ear, giving Loki a look as he began to back away. “Be a good boy now and don’t touch anything you’re not supposed to be touching.”

As he stood there, watching Stark leave, Loki seriously considered finding that briefcase and possibly… taking it with him. He could head to the river and throw it into the water. That would teach Stark not to mess with him. He even kept his eyes open for it as he began to make his way through the hallways again, but he couldn’t find it anywhere.

Before he could do any kind of serious damage, Thor caught up to him, looking incredibly excited about something. He wouldn’t say a word to him, though. Instead he led him over to the locker rooms so that he could watch him get changed, all the while Loki tried to force him to give him a clue. Just a tiny hint. _Something_.

“I’m not gonna spoil anything for you,” Thor told him, and Loki let out a frustrated groan. Stubborn oaf.

When there was about half an hour left before the show was about to start, Thor insisted on him going out and joining the rest of the crowd. Loki wondered why he didn’t want him backstage, though Thor said that he simply wanted him to feel the energy out there. This was apparently the kind of show he had to watch from his seat, close to the ring. Fair enough.

Loki left the backstage area and made his way to the seat Tho had reserved for him. Maybe it was just because Thor had told him about the Chicago crowd, but the vibe in there felt different. People seemed to be even more excited than usual, already chanting loudly at the match they had before the show.

When Raw finally began, Black Panther was the first to come out, and the crowd cheered him on as he made his way over to the ring. They didn’t cheer quite as loudly when his opponent came out, though. Cyclops walked out on stage, and Loki almost had to put his hands over his ears because the booing was insane. And he was supposed to be a good guy! But Loki supposed that the fans couldn’t always like the people they were supposed to like.

Chants of “You can’t wrestle!” sounded throughout the arena, and Loki almost felt bad for the guy, but then he realized that he didn’t care, so he simply shrugged it off and waited for the match to be over. Black Panther was the winner, which was probably lucky or the crowd would’ve booed Cyclops out of the building.

The two of them left, and then it was time for the women. Storm and Sif were teaming up against Emma and Karnilla, and Loki watched as the four of them gathered in the ring while people cheered for Storm and Sif. Storm was chosen to start the match, along with Karnilla, and the two of them fought each other for several minutes, going back and forth until they both seemed to be exhausted.

They both went for the tag at the same time, and Sif climbed inside to loud screams from the audience. A lot of people were chanting her name, but despite the support it seemed like Emma was getting the upper hand. She kneed Sif in the stomach, making her bend over, and she grabbed onto the back of her outfit before pushing her towards the ropes. Sif fell outside, collapsing just outside of the ring. Storm jumped down from the apron and walked around just as Emma climbed outside. She glanced over at Storm before stepping closer to Sif, and grabbed her arm in an attempt to pull her up. When she didn't succeed, the referee put a stop to her, forcing her hands away before he turned back to Sif, who still hadn’t moved.

Emma turned to the crowd, and held her arms out with a satisfied grin on her face. There was some booing, but the sounds from the audience stopped abruptly as soon as the referree pushed himself back up on his feet and threw his arms above his head, forming an X shape. The bell rang, and the arena went silent. Dead silent. The energy that had just been so high disappeared in an instant, as if someone had just poked a hole in a balloon.

Loki frowned in confusion, his heart beating a little faster as he tried to understand what had just happened. A medic came over, bending down next to Sif, who still wasn’t moving. Two more came rushing down the ramp, and then he realized that a stretcher was being brought over as well. Now, this was not the first time he had seen one of those being used, but something felt different about this time. It felt more serious. _Real_. And he had no idea whether this was part of the show or not. A lot of people in the audience were standing up, and Loki slowly pushed himself up as well, noticing the concerned looks on the faces around him.

It had to be real. Sif was actually hurt. They all watched as the medics carefully lifted her onto the stretcher, and Storm had a worried look on her face as she followed them away from the ring and up the ramp. On the jumbotron, they showed a clip of what had just happened, and now when they played it in slow motion he could see Sif's head hitting the ropes before she fell out. The entire arena was still dead silent, and Loki held his breath, slowly sitting back down.

The atmosphere didn’t pick back up until the next match got started. The show had to go on, apparently, and the next two competitors did everything they could to get the crowd going again. It still felt strange, though. They were exicted, but not quite as excited as they had been at the beginning of the show. Of course, Loki thought about Thor, wondering how he must be feeling. He could remember how worried he had been when Sam had gotten hurt, but at least he had been able to move. At least he had been able to make jokes and tease his friends. Sif had seemed to be completely out of it, and Loki hoped she was okay. They hadn’t really had the chance to have a conversation, and he knew he’d been a little jealous of her relationship with Thor, but he would never have wanted something like this to happen.

Just like so many times before, Thor was supposed to be in the main event, and Loki turned his eyes to the stage as soon as he heard his music. When Thor stepped out, Loki glanced up at the jumbotron, and he immediately frowned. Thor looked… shaken. It was hard to tell when he was so far away with nothing but the big screen to rely on, but it almost looked like he’d been crying. Or maybe that was just his imagination. Either way, Thor didn’t look quite as excited as he usually did, though he supposed they could blame that on him being tense about this whole Thanos business.

Thor stepped into the ring with a microphone in his right hand, and he didn’t even climb up on the ropes to pose. He just stood there, no smile on his face as he waited for the audience to quiet down. When they did, he slowly raised the mic to his lips, waiting another moment before he began to speak.

“I’ve had enough,” he said, his voice deep and firm. “I’ve had _enough_. Ever since I won the Royal Rumble, ever since I became the number one contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Thanos has been trying to get to me. He has been playing his games, trying to frighten me, trying to make me surrender. But what he doesn't seem to understand, what he doesn’t seem to be able to grasp, is that he is not making me look like a coward. He is making himself look like one. Thanos is too scared to come here and face me.”

Thor paused.

“Thanos is too scared to get rid of me himself. Why? He wants to be seen as the one. The best. The one no one can defeat. And it’s true, he has held that championship for a long time now, and no one has managed to defeat him. He has been bending the rules to his will. He has done everything he can to hold on to that championship, but why, if he is so good, is he not here tonight?” He raised his voice, pointing down at the ring with his free hand. “If he is as good as he wants to be, as he thinks he is, then why won’t he face me himself? Why is he sending his goons after me? Why is he sending them after my friends?” Thor turned his eyes straight into the camera, and Loki held his breath. “Thanos. If you can hear me, if you have listened to my words, I challenge you to come out here and prove to me that-”

There was a loud sound, almost like a bell or something, and Loki blinked in confusion while the rest of the audience started to scream excitedly as the room went dark. Loki tried to to turn his eyes in the direction of the jumbotron, but when the lights turned back on agan, there was nothing there. But Thor wasn’t alone in the ring. There was someone else there, and Loki’s eyes widened as he realized who it was, who it had to be.

Thanos. 

He was huge. Slightly taller than Thor, even. His head was shaved, and he had a big jaw and a pair of intense, blue eyes. The outfit he was wearing was dark blue, with some gold details added to it, and even though his arms were covered Loki could tell that they were probably about the size of his head.

For a moment, as the audience screamed loudly around him, Loki was left wondering why they would spoil the surprise right before Wrestlemania, but then he reminded himself that he was probably the only one inside the arena who had never seen him before.

Thor dropped the microphone, and he turned so that he was standing face to face with Thanos, who was staring at him with a serious look on his face. Even without saying anything, he still managed to look intimidating.

There was a beat, and then the two of them rushed forward at the same time, both trying to throw as many punches as they could. The audience never stopped cheering as they fought, though there was definitely some angry shouting involved when Thanos managed to get Thor down on his back before he continued to hit both his face and his chest.

Loki was so busy watching the two of them, he didn’t even notice the security guards who had come rushing down the ramp until they moved inside the ring, trying to separate the two of them. The audience suddenly started booing as about six of them forced Thanos away from Thor, and Loki couldn’t understand why because he didn’t want them to keep fighting. Not now.

They pushed Thanos into the other corner, while one of them stayed behind with Thor, keeping a hand out to show him that he needed to stay put. That wasn’t enough to stop him though, and Thor got to his feet before he rushed over to the other side of the ring and jumped up, throwing himself over the security guys as he tried to get to Thanos.

The two of them were quickly separated once more, both of them trying to fight off the security guards. Thanos looked livid, though Thor wasn’t too far behind. Loki had never seen him look so determined, so angry, and… wild. They managed to fight their way back to each other, and this time Loki did turn his eyes to the stage when a bunch of other wrestlers ran out.

It almost looked like they had emptied the entire locker room. The audience was caught between cheering for the fight, and booing the wrestlers for attempting to put a stop to it. Loki tried to count how many they were, but it seemed impossible. It was complete chaos inside the ring, and he couldn’t even see Thor or Thanos anymore because of how many people were surrounding them. He had to turn his eyes to the jumbotron, where they were showing an upstage view of the fight.

They managed to pull them apart once more, and it had to be at least ten wrestlers holding back each of them. Thor and Thanos only had eyes for each other, the two of them glaring at each other over the other wrestlers. They somehow were able to pull Thor out of the ring, and slowly began to force him away from there while they audience chanted “Let them fight!”

The wrestlers had only brought him about halfway up the ramp when Thor managed to free himself from them, and he rushed forward, slipping back inside the ring and immediately jumping onto the other group to get to Thanos. Thanos was trying to hit everyone around him in order to force them to let him go, but at least Thor wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. Well, no one on the good side, anyway.

They forced him out of the ring again, and there was another intense stare down between the two of them while the audience switched to a new chant, this time going with “This is awesome!” Loki wished he could have shared their enthusiasm. While he was happy that he finally got to see Thanos, this was almost too much for him to take. He was torn between wanting to watch Thor use his strength to overpower the other wrestlers, and worrying for his safety because Thanos did not look like he would hesitate to hurt him if he actually did manage to get his hands on him again.

Just as they began to drag Thor away from there, Thanos managed to pull himself away from the other group, andhe hurried forward and attacked him right next to the steps leading up to the ring. The other wrestlers tried to separate them, everyone shouting loudly at each other. They grabbed Thor's arms and tried to force him away from there again, while they held Thanos pressed against the side of the ring. The two of them were still keeping their eyes on each other, and Loki let out a relieved breath as soon as Thor had disappeared backstage.

Finally.

Thanos was led out as well, and Loki slowly sat down again, letting out a long, deep sigh. That had been intense. Almost too intense. He had never seen anything like that before. He was used to matches. Normal matches, where two people met inside the ring. He wasn’t used to the whole roster needing to come out just to separate two people. And now that he knew what Thanos looked like, he realized that he was more scared about that match than ever. Okay, maybe not scared. But a little worried. Just a little. 

He turned his eyes to the jumbotron when it lit up, and he was surprised to see Thor being led through the hallways by all of those wrestlers. He immediately had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, and a second later Thanos came out of nowhere and attacked him again. Chaos interrupted on the big screen, and the wrestlers shouted loudly at both each other and at Thor and Thanos as they tried to pull the two of them apart. But just like outside the ring, they only managed to escort Thor a couple of feet away before he escaped and jumped over the other group with a roar.

They quickly forced him away from there again, Thor fighting against the wrestlers holding him back with everything he had. Thanos managed to fight off the ones surrounding him, and paused for only a moment before he grabbed a nearby trashcan. He rushed forward, and hit Thor in the chest with it. Thor fell to the floor with a groan, and just as he had turned around Thanos hit him again, this time letting the trashcan collide with his back. The wrestlers seemed almost scared to approach him, and it was only once he had dropped the trashcan that they forced him to take a couple of steps back.

“I will kill you!” Thanos shouted, an enranged expression on his face.

“You’ll have to!” Thor shouted back at him as soon as he had gotten back up on his feet.

Loki put a hand over his mouth, watching with a worried look on his face as the two of them went at it _again_. For God’s sake. They had about thirty or so wrestlers surrounding them. Why couldn’t they just make them stop?

Finally, they managed to put an end to the fight. Thanos was backing away with a grin on his face, ignoring the wrestlers following him as he gave Thor a long look. Thor reached up to wipe some blood off his bottom lip, his eyes dark as he stared back at him, while his friends tried to talk him into calming down. Once Thanos had disappeared the screen slowly faded to black, and Loki turned his eyes away, listening to the screams around him as he realized that the hand he still had pressed against his mouth was trembling. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so. Anyone who watches wrestling will probably notice that I was heavily inspired by the fight between Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker. I even used their lines. And if anyone who doesn't watch wrestling wants to see what that kind of chaotic fight might look like, there's a video right [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF1iMhn0vTE)
> 
> And yes, Sif getting hurt was not something I thought of until it happened to Enzo. I know it's not really a good thing to be inspired by, but I would definitely never have added it if he hadn't been perfectly fine and healthy today.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be Wrestlemania! So close now. I feel like this chapter is a bit all over the place, but I had quite a few things I wanted to write about, so... 
> 
> I'll post a few more entrance videos before the next chapter. Thanos, Punisher, Daredevil, Rhodey, and... Tony. I know Tony's not wrestling anymore, but we were introduced to a glorious new theme song last week, and I have to give it to him. If there are any other wrestlers you'd like to see, please just let me know. I've downloaded Doctor Strange, Wolverine, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch, but I haven't finished any of their entrances. If you'd like to see one of them, or someone else, tell me and I'll try to make it happen.

As soon as the show had ended, Loki slowly became aware of the rest of the crowd, and of how much noise they were making. The chattering around him seemed to grow louder and louder as people gestured at the dark jumbotron, and Loki clenched his hands into fists in an attempt to make them stop trembling. Without paying any attention to the wrestlers coming out to have their dark match, he abandoned his seat and hurried up the stairs. 

The atmosphere seemed different backstage. When he had left, people had been exited about the show. They had been rushing about, trying to get everything and everyone ready on time. Now, the hallways were eerily silent, the people speaking in hushed voices, some of them mentioning Thanos's name. He passed plenty of wrestlers, many with concerned looks on their faces, but Loki paid them no mind. He did not stop walking until he saw Steve, and even then he only stayed long enough for Steve to tell him Thor was in one of the locker rooms. Loki didn’t even thank him before he moved on.

When he came upon the right room, he found Thor pacing in the middle of it, still dressed in his wrestling gear. He looked hot and sweaty - his face red and his hair a mess, the braid no longer in place. When he turned around, Loki shivered at the fierce look in his eyes. Thor came to a stop, and stared at him for a moment before he reached up to rub two of his fingers against his bottom lip. There was no blood, but it was a bit swollen. 

“Well,” he began, sounding breathless. “Now you’ve seen him.”

He certainly had. Loki wasn’t even sure what to say. This was not at all what he had been expecting when he’d sat down to watch the show.

“You can still beat him” where the first words out of his mouth, and he emphasized them with a determined look on his face. Thor looked like he could use some encouraging words right now, and while Loki had never been paticularly good at pep talks, he figured he could give it a shot. “He’s clearly just a big brute. He's strong, yes, but you’re so much more than that.”

Thor nodded his head and ran a hand over his face, not meeting his eyes.

“Yeah, I guess,” he mumbled, his hands clenched into fists as he returned to his pacing.

Loki watched him move back and forth, tapping his foot against the floor before he crossed his arms over his chest.

“That trash can was a cheap shot,” he tried. “But you’ll get back at him in less than a week. Thanos is nothing compared to you. I know he’ll-”

“Is that what you think I care about?” Thor interrupted him, his voice louder than it had been a moment ago. His eyes were heated as he turned them to Loki, who gave him a startled look in return.

“Thanos? You think I give a  _ fuck _ about Thanos right now? About that match? Who cares about Wrestlemania when Sif is…” He trailed off, blinked, and let his eyes fall. Slowly, he walked over to the bench and sat down on it, bending forward and putting his head in his hands.

“I don’t even know if she’s okay. They haven’t told us anything, she could be…”

Loki swallowed, and took a small step closer to him. “They took her to the hospital?”

“Yeah,” Thor confirmed with a nod of his head. When he pulled his hands away from his face, he looked exhausted. Loki had seen him tired before, after a match, but this was different. And he couldn’t blame him. He was sure Sif’s accident had been hard to watch, and then he'd had to deal with Thanos instead of making sure she was alright. 

“You should go to her,” Loki said quietly.

Thor gave him a confused look.

“What? But what about…”

“You should go to the hospital. I know she’s your friend. Look, if Amora was at the hospital, I would want to make sure she was alright. So go.”

Thor pushed himself up from the bench. “But what about you?”

“I can find my way back to the hotel.” Loki shrugged. “I’ll get someone to give me a ride. Or I’ll take a cab. I’ll be fine.”

Thor gave him a grateful look and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Thanks.”

Loki gave him a small smile in return, and watched as Thor pulled his costume off before changing into his normal clothes and hurrying out of the room.

The room was silent, and Loki wondered which wrestler he should approach for a ride back to the hotel. Well, he’d gotten there with Captain America. Perhaps he would be willing to… And speaking of the man with the ridiculous looking trunks. Steve stepped through the open door, but he paused as soon as he noticed him standing there.

“I just ran into Thor. He said he was going to the hospital.”

“He is,” Loki confirmed. “I told him to go. He was worried about Sif.”

“We all are,” Steve said, and let the door close behind him. “That was a nasty hit. I think they were worried about her neck. That’s the kind of thing that’ll put an end to your career.”

Loki sank down on the bench Thor had been sitting on, keeping his hands in his lap as his shoulders slumped.

“You need a ride?” Steve asked, and Loki turned his eyes up. “Back to the hotel, I mean.”

Loki nodded his head.

“Just let me get changed,” Steve said. He moved to pull off the shirt he was wearing, but then paused with it halfway up his stomach and gave Loki a look. “Um. Are you supposed to be in here?”

Loki raised a brow at him. “Why, Captain, I do believe you saw me in nothing but a towel once. It’s only fair I get to see you in one.”

“I wonder what Thor would have to say about that,” Steve muttered as he turned away from him and opened his bag.

“So do I.” Loki grinned at him, and Steve shook his head as he grabbed his clothes and a towel before heading over to the showers without removing a single item of clothing.

“Just don’t involve me in whatever games you’ve got going on. I don’t need him to kick my ass right before Wrestlemania.”

Loki let out a disappointed huff as soon as he was out of sight.

When Steve came back out again he was already dressed, and the two of them left the locker room together once he'd grabbed his bag. It was a somewhat awkward walk on the way out of the arena, neither of them saying anything until they’d gotten inside Steve’s car.

“So,” Loki began, after about five minutes of nothing but silence. “How is that girl? Sharon, right? Have you had the courage to ask her out yet?”

“No, I haven’t asked her out. And she's not a girl,” Steve said, still keeping his eyes on the road.

Loki raised his eyebrows expectantly, and Steve shot him a quick look before he spoke up again.

“It doesn’t look like anything’s gonna happen.”

“Is that because of you or because of her?” Loki asked, casually opening the glove compartment and looking through the things in there, finding some uninteresting papers and a whistle. He quickly moved on to inspecting the stereo, wondering if he was allowed to change the channel.

“Does it matter?”

Loki glanced over at Steve. Clearly, he was in no mood to tease, and Loki wasn't sure if it had to do with Sif, or if he simply didn’t like him.

"I guess not."

The awkward silence returned, and neither of them said a word for several minutes. Loki turned his head to look out the window, watching the buildings they passed until Steve spoke up. 

“I have an idea. Why don’t we talk about you and Thor?”

“Is this the part where you warn me not to hurt him or you’ll hunt me down and kick my ass?” Loki asked, giving him an innocent look. 

“Will that be necessary?”

Their eyes met, and Steve raised his eyebrows, while Loki pressed his lips together. He was the first to look away.

“No,” he said, watching his own hands as he rubbed them together. “I have no intention of hurting him.”

“He really likes you, you know. He’s been with other people, but… I’ve never seen him like this before. He’s been my friend for years. I don’t want to see him get hurt.”

“I told you, I’m not going to hurt him,” Loki said heatedly, still not looking at him. “I know how he feels about me. I don’t know how it happened, or why, but I’m not an idiot. I’m his for as long as he’ll have me. Is that good enough for you, or should I just back off right now?”

Steve didn’t say anything, and Loki wondered if that meant he’d been able to convince him, or if he simply didn't wish to argue.

Once they reached the hotel, Steve stopped the car but didn’t get out. Loki mumbled a quick thank you for the ride before slipping out, watching him leave before he made his way up to the hotel room. Since it was already late, he stripped out of his clothes and brushed his teeth before going straight to bed.

He woke up a couple of hours later, and he blinked in the darkness, furrowing his brow when he realized someone had just opened and closed the door. He listened as Thor got undressed, his brain struggling to function after being pulled from his deep sleep. When Thor crawled into the other side of the bed, it took him a couple of seconds to decide what to do. He moved closer, curling one of his arms around Thor's chest.

“I thought you were asleep,” Thor whispered.

“I was. Will she be okay?”

He could feel Thor nodding. “She’ll be okay.”

“Good.” Loki pressed a kiss to the back of Thor’s neck, and Thor grabbed his hand, holding it tightly as the two of them closed their eyes and went to sleep together.

When Loki woke up again the next morning, Thor wasn't pressed up against his body any longer. Instead, he was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at him with a small smile on his lips. He was already dressed, hair pulled up, and Loki rubbed at his eyes.

“Good morning,” Thor said.

Loki mumbled a quick “Morning” while he tried to remember what had happened last night. Thor was quick to remind him.  

“Look… I'm sorry about how I reacted yesterday. I was upset, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you. You didn't deserve that.”

“How is Sif?” Loki asked.

“She’ll be alright,” Thor said, his smile widening a little as a relieved sigh escaped his lips. “She was even teasing me right before I left. No life threatening injuries, but she does have a concussion. She'll probably be gone for about a month.” He paused, and pushed his hair back. “It was just… seeing her like that. It got to me. It's always scary when someone gets hurt, but when she wasn't moving, and we knew it could be the neck…” Thor's voice trailed off, and Loki pushed himself up a little bit, reaching out to put a hand on Thor's knee.

“Sometimes you're reminded you're not invincible. Anything could happen to us when we go out there, and you never actually know which match could be your last. I know she'll be okay, but she'll miss Wrestlemania. And she was looking forward to it. It was gonna be her first.”

“So what are they going to do about her match?” Loki said.

Thor shrugged. “I don't know. Find a replacement, I guess. They need a match for that title. Especially this year.”

“What's so special about this year?” 

Thor gave him a long look, clearly hesitating, before he answered. “Because they're getting rid of the Divas Division. Sif was supposed to be competing for the new Women’s Championship.”

“Well, I suppose it's about time,” Loki said, raising a brow. “Was she going to win?”

“I don't know,” Thor said. “But Mystique might get to be champion a while longer.”

They were both silent, watching each other for a moment before Thor took his hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

“Will you come with me to Smackdown?”

“Where is Smackdown?” Loki asked, and Thor smiled before he gave him the answer.

“Milwaukee.”

Loki raised his eyebrows at him, and Thor’s smile widened as he grabbed his other hand as well.

“Oh, come on. It’ll be fun. But I have to warn you, I’m not gonna be in it for more than a couple of minutes. I have a contract signing, and that’s it. For now, anyway. They might change their minds.”

“How would we get there?”

“It’s up to you,” Thor shrugged. “Steve offered us a place in his car, but if you’d rather not, we could always get on the bus.”

Loki tilted his head to the side as he weighed his options. Being stuck in a car with Captain America didn’t sound like a lot of fun, but on the other hand, being stuck in a bus with a bunch of wrestlers sounded even worse. Better to deal with one than twenty.

“Fine,” he said, and nodded his head to seal the deal. “I’ll come with you. If Captain America wants to give us a ride, I suppose we should let him.”

Thor gave him a kiss, looking far too excited as he pushed himself up and stepped away from the bed to pack the last of his things.

One hour later they joined up with Steve outside the hotel. Natasha was there too, greeting them with a smile before she called shotgun and got into the front seat. Thor and Loki sat next to each other in the back, and Loki watched as she propped her feet up on the dashboard, Steve only giving her a brief look before he started the engine.

Thor spent the first thirty minutes discussing Smackdown with the other two, while Loki had his eyes on his phone, checking his emails and answering a text from Amora.

Of course, they also talked about Sif. Natasha told them the people backstage had nearly panicked while trying to think of what to do now that she could no longer fight Mystique at Wrestlemania. While still keeping his eyes on his phone, Loki asked if they’d managed to come up with a solution, and Natasha revealed to him that she would be fighting Storm for a chance to become the new number one contender.

“What else can we do at this point?” she said, and Loki could spot Thor lowering his eyes.

“Sometimes these things just happen,” Steve said, throwing a glance at Thor. “At least she’ll be okay.”

“Sif looked like she still wanted to have her match at Wrestlemania, concussion or no concussion.”

“She knows better than that,” Thor said quietly. “She’s a fighter, but she’s not stupid. There’s always next year. She can come back from this.”

Loki reached out to grab his hand, and Thor gave him a smile.

They stayed silent for a moment, Loki absentmindedly nodding along to the song playing on the radio while looking out the window.

“She’s Swedish,” Thor said, out of nowhere, and Loki slowly turned his head around.

“What?” He gave him a puzzled look. 

“The singer.” Thor pointed at the stereo. “Tove Lo. She’s Swedish.”

Loki threw a glance at the stereo, the frown on his face deepening. “So?”

“I was just pointing it out,” Thor defended himself with a shrug, and Loki raised a brow at him.

“Do you listen to a lot of Swedish music?” Natasha asked him, and Thor nudged Loki's arm before answering her.

“Some,” he said. “My mom used to introduce me to Swedish singers when I was a kid. I still enjoy a couple of them, but I tend to stick to the ones who sing their songs in English."

“Please don’t tell me you listen to ABBA,” Loki spoke up, eyeing him warily, and Thor turned back to him, an almost offended look on his face.

“Hey. They are a national treasure,” he teased, and Loki shook his head.

“How would you know? You didn’t even grow up in Sweden.”

“Yeah, but... “ Thor shrugged again. “I know. And to answer your question, I do listen to ABBA.” Loki groaned loudly, and Thor leaned closer to him. “Laugh all you want, but there is nothing better than listening to Dancing Queen right before a match.”

Loki tried to hold back the smile on his lips, but he couldn’t, and Thor grinned at him before he leaned all the way in for a kiss.

“We don’t need to see that,” came Steve’s voice, and Loki reluctantly pulled back.

The two of them were on their best behavior from then on, that is until Thor mentioned his match, and Loki proceeded to tease him that even if he did win it, that would not be the best thing to happen to him that night.

“Oh?” Thor gave him a curious look. “Did you have something in mind to celebrate?”

“Perhaps,” Loki admitted, and leaned a little closer. “You might get to tie me up again.”

“And here I was thinking you should be the one to tie me up next time,” Thor said, and Loki smiled.

“That could be arranged.” He moved his hand to the back of Thor’s neck, pulling him in for another kiss. Thor put his hand on his thigh, giving it a firm squeeze, and the only thing stopping Loki from crawling into his lap was the loud cough coming from the front seat.

“I swear, I will turn this car around,” Steve threatened them.

“Oh, don’t listen to him,” Natasha said, poking his arm a couple of times. “He’s just annoyed because he doesn’t have anyone to kiss. I could arrange that for you, Rogers.”

“Are you trying to get me to crash this car?” Steve asked, trying to push her hand away, and shot Natasha a halfhearted glare which she went on to ignore.

When they finally arrived in Milwaukee, Steve brought them straight to the arena. There were already fans waiting outside, and Thor waved to them as they drove by. Once they were out of the car, Loki followed the other three inside, Natasha being pulled away from them almost immediately to get ready for her match.

Thor and Steve were discussing the Hall of Fame ceremony when Sam and Bucky came walking towards them. Steve trailed off as soon as Bucky and he caught sight of each other, and Bucky quickly tried to turn around and walk the other way.

After a loud “Give me a fucking break” from Sam, Bucky was pulled back and forced to stay next to him until the other three had made their way over to them. “You guys are taking this whole method acting thing way too seriously,” he told them, pushing Bucky closer to Steve.

Thor gave Sam a smile and a wink before he led Loki away from there. Loki was grateful, having no interest in listening to a couple of wrestlers talk about... feelings, or whatever it was they would talk about. 

He brought Loki into a room where they'd set up a TV, a small couch, and a couple of chairs. They made themselves comfortable on the couch, Thor shrugging his shoulders when Loki asked him if he was going to get ready.

“I’m not changing,” he said. “It’s just a contract signing. I can wear normal clothes.” He put his arm around Loki’s shoulders, and gave him a small smile. “Do you want to get out there? I didn't tell them to get you a seat, but I could arrange something if you feel like you wanna join the fans.”

“No, it’s fine,” Loki said. “If you don’t have a match, I don’t need to be out there. Thanos isn’t coming, is he?”

“No, he isn’t,” Thor confirmed, and Loki gave him a long, suspicious look. He did actually believe him though, which was why he gave him a nod.

“Then I’m staying back here with you.”

He didn't regret that decision, not even as Smackdown finally started a couple of hours later. The show wasn't that exciting. It may have been the last one before Wrestlemania, but they had clearly focused on throwing most of the storytelling into Raw. The one match he cared about was the one between Black Widow and Storm, which would be the main event. Thor's segment was the one before that match, and he gave Loki's knee a squeeze before left him.

Loki wasn't alone in the room though. They had been joined by Sam, Luke, Bucky and Steve, and the five of them watched as Thor made his way into the ring, where Coulson was waiting for him, standing next to a table. He explained to the audience in a calm voice that Thanos had already signed the contract. After what happened on Raw, they did not want to risk having the two of them in the ring together before it was time for their match. Perfectly understandable, according to Loki.

Coulson handed Thor a pen, and Thor picked up the contract, reading it with his brow furrowed. Something in it made him turn sharp eyes over to Coulson, who raised his eyebrows in return.

“Oh, yes. We haven’t told you. If you sign that contract, your match with Thanos will be a no disqualification match.” There were noises coming from the audience at that, though Loki couldn’t decide if they were happy or surprised. Thor gave Coulson a long look before he slowly turned his eyes back to the contract. He placed it on the table, picked up the pen, and leaned down to write his signature.

“Fine by me,” he said, tossing the pen aside before he turned around and climbed out of the ring. He took a couple of steps away, then stopped, and turned back to it. He bent down and searched for something under the ring, and Loki noticed the other people in the room were smiling. When Thor straightened back up again, he had his beloved hammer in his hand, and this time the audience sounded like they were over the moon as they cheered for him. Thor held it up, leaning it against his own shoulder as he made his way back up the ramp again, and Loki shook his head as they switched to a commercial break.

“He’s going to need it,” Luke said, and Loki turned his eyes to him, torn between protesting and hoping that he was right and that the hammer would be able to protect Thor from harm.

When Thor returned to them, hammer still by his side, Loki managed to relax somewhat as soon as he had joined him on the couch again.

“Now I’m ready for Wrestlemania,” he said, and the other four smiled at him. 

“Please tell me you’re going to hit him with that hammer,” Loki said to him, wrapping his arms around one of Thor’s and leaning closer to him in an unusual display of affection.

“I’ll try,” Thor promised him, and threw a glance at the people around them before pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

“Aw, isn't that cute?" Steve teased him, and both Sam and Bucky joined in, nodding their heads with overly enthusiastic looks on their faces. 

“My reputation is ruined,” Loki muttered, and let Thor go before sending them all a glare.

The teasing was quickly forgotten once Black Widow stepped into the ring. Since none of them knew what would happen, they all stayed silent as they watched Storm join her, the silence only interrupted by a “Here we go” from Sam.

Both Storm and Widow looked like they were more than ready for a fight, and they rushed forward as soon as the bell rang. There were several close calls, the two of them trying to pin each other without success, before Black Widow managed to get Storm into the submission hold named after herself. With one leg wrapped around the back of Storm's neck, she forced her down onto one knee, pulling on one of her arms as she tried to get her to tap out.

Loki looked around at the other five in the room, and noticed that they were all leaning forward, their eyes wide as they waited for Storm to tap.

But she didn’t. She began to push herself up, taking Widow with her, who looked surprised as she found herself on top of Storm’s shoulders. Storm wasted no time before throwing her down onto the mat. While Widow was still too dazed to move, she grabbed her left ankle and quickly lay down on her back, wrapping her legs around Widow's thigh and pulling, hard. 

Black Widow tapped, and all of the sudden Loki wasn’t sure who were the loudest - the people in the room with him or the crowd out in the arena. Storm got onto her feet, the referee coming over to raise her arm into the air as they announced that she was the new number one contender. She didn't get to celebrate for very long though. Storm’s music was soon interrupted by someone else's, and Storm turned her eyes to the stage, where Mystique walked out. She didn’t say anything. She simply stood there, giving her a smirk, holding her Diva’s championship into the air, before the screen faded to black.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Luke said, fisting the air while standing up from his seat, only staying long enough for Steve to hand him a five dollar bill before he left the room.

While the rest of them talked about the match and how good it had been, Loki asked Thor if Storm had ever held the championship, and Thor shook his head, giving him a knowing smile as he told him she hadn’t.

They left the room shortly after, and Loki wasn’t sure how it happened, but somehow it was decided they would be going out to celebrate Storm’s win. Or Ororo, as she was actually called, which Loki learned when Thor asked him to come along. Loki didn't want to intrude, but Thor told him he should come. One more person wouldn't make a difference.

So they went out to some club that wasn't too crowded, though they still got plenty of looks. Loki wasn't sure if that was because they were being recognized, or because they simply stood out. They were all pretty big, perfect looking people after all, and even though they were dressed in normal clothes, they still stood out in a crowd. At least they hadn't invited the whole roster. They were actually a pretty small group. Thor was there, of course, along with Ororo, Natasha, Luke, T’Challa, Steve, Bucky, Rhodey and Sam. Loki did feel like the odd one out, but he still enjoyed their company.

A round of drinks was brought to their table, and they all smiled as they raised their glasses.

“To Storm!”

But Ororo shook her head, and held up a hand to stop them.

“Not just to me,” she said. “To Sif.”

They clinked their glasses together, cheering for them both, and Thor took a picture with his phone, telling them he was sending it to Sif to let her know they were all thinking about her.

Storm and Natasha got out of their chairs a moment later, deciding it was time to dance. Ororo hooked arms with T’Challa, while Natasha put her hands on her hips while trying to decide who should get to dance with her. Rhodey ended up getting picked, and the two of them left as well.

Loki wondered what the odds were of him and Thor getting a chance to dance. Probably small.

Now that Ororo and Natasha had left, Sam complained about the lack of women at the table. He barely had time to finish the sentence, though, before someone came over and asked him to dance. With a rather smug smile on his face, Sam waved at them before disappearing with her, and Bucky let out a loud huff.

"Typical," he said, and turned his eyes to Steve. "Who's going to dance with us?"

Steve was in the middle of telling him they could always dance together when they were joined by Sharon and Maria.

“You didn’t think you’d be able to get rid of us, did you?” Maria asked. "You're not the only ones who need to relax and have some fun." She eyed their drinks before she announced she needed one as well. She headed over to the bar, and Sharon was left standing there, here eyes moving over to Steve, who didn't seem to notice. Thor looked like he wanted to kick him under the table, and Loki was about to whisper to him that he could give it a shot when Luke asked if perhaps Sharon would like to join him for a dance. Sharon lit up, nodding her head at him, and the four people still left at the table watched as he offered her his arm before they left.

Thor raised his eyebrows at Steve, and Loki pressed his lips together in an attempt not to let out a laugh. With a sigh, Thor offered to get them another round of drinks, and gave Loki’s shoulder a squeeze before getting up from his seat. Loki was left alone with Steve and Bucky, who soon ended up in a conversation Loki did not feel like being part of. Something about Wrestlemania.

Instead, he turned his eyes to the bar, wondering how long it could possibly take for one man to get some drinks. Thor’s absence was explained once he spotted him leaning against the bar while talking to a group of four women. They all seemed intrigued by whatever he was saying to them, and Thor did not look like he was in any way uncomfortable to have them watching him. He was smiling, gesturing at something, and the four of them laughed at whatever joke he had made.

Loki quickly turned his eyes back to the table, dong his best to ignore the jealousy welling up inside of him as he gritted his teeth together.

“Is it always like this?” he asked, interrupting the other two, and both of them turned to look at the bar before nodding their heads.

“He’s always surrounded by people whenever we go out,” Steve confirmed. “It’s like the rest of us are invicible.”

Loki wasn’t so sure about that. He could spot at least two women, and one man, throwing glances at Steve and his big, muscly arms, but clearly he was too obvlivious to notice their stares.

“Excuse me,” Loki said, slipping out of his chair and leaving the other two alone as he made his way across the room. Once he reached the bar, he only had a split second to figure out what he wanted to do, but before he could make any decisions he slid up to Thor’s side, clearing his throat to interrupt whatever they were talking about. All four women turned to look at him, and so did Thor, and suddenly Loki wasn’t sure what to do. Staking his claim seemed like a foolish thing to do. After all, he had no idea if these women knew who Thor was or not.

“Those drinks are taking an awful long time,” he said, a forced smile on his face, and Thor nodded his head.

“You’re right.” He turned back to the women. “I’m afraid I have to get back to my table.” They looked disappointed, but turned to leave one after one, and Loki threw a glare at their retreating backs before giving Thor an unimpressed look.

“Sorry,” Thor said. “They came out of nowhere.”

Loki huffed, and threw a look at the drinks before turning around so that he was facing Thor. “Would it be okay for us to dance? Or is that off the table?”

Thor’s face fell. “Loki… You know I want to, but…”

Loki could feel the disappointment hit him hard, but tried not to let it show. “I don’t see why we shouldn’t,” he said. “You’ve already told everyone at work, and they seem to be okay with it. Why can’t the fans know?”  

Thor turned his eyes away, watching his own knees for a long moment as Loki gave him a confused look.

“What?”

Thor shook his head, refusing to answer, and Loki leaned closer to him. “What?”

“Let’s not do this here,” Thor said, turning his eyes back up. “I'll tell you later, okay?”

“No, I want to talk about this now,” Loki said, and Thor gave him a long look.

“Fine.” He stood up, and brought the drinks back to the table before grabbing Loki’s arm and pulling him back outside, where they took a couple of steps away from the entrance so they would be able to talk in private.

“Look, there are some things I haven’t been telling you,” Thor said, pausing a moment as a couple of drunk young men passed by them, laughing loudly about something. “I know you think it’s been easy, and... It could’ve been worse. A lot worse. But not everyone’s okay with it.”

Loki furrowed his brow. “Did they hurt you?” he asked, moving his gaze up and down like he would be able to spot bruises if he just looked at him.

“No,” Thor said. “No, they wouldn’t dare. They know I'm stronger than they are. But I’ve heard things. Rumors. They’re wondering why someone like me is headlining Wrestlemania. Why I get to be the top guy. Luke told me he even heard some people wondering if I’ve slept my way to the top.”

Loki felt his chest clench uncomfortably at Thor’s words. Slept his way to the top? Had they  _ seen _ Thor? He didn’t need to sleep his way to anything. He was the best wrestler on that roster, and he looked like someone who could be the face of the company. Why did that change just because they knew he was bisexual?

“Does anyone in there…” Loki threw a look over his shoulder, and Thor quickly shook his head.

“No. Not at all. None of my friends have made a big deal out of it. That’s the good part, I guess. I don’t care about the ones saying these things. But I hate feeling like they’re all looking at me, hoping that I’ll screw up, or that they’ll decide I’m not good enough to be at the top. But I’m going to prove them wrong. The match at Wrestlemania is going to be the best match I’ve ever had. Whether I win or lose… That doesn’t matter at this point. I just want to show everyone that I belong here.”

“You already have,” Loki was quick to assure him, putting a hand on Thor’s chest. “This match is just going to be another example of that.”

Thor gave him a grateful look, and turned away like he was about to head back inside when Loki stopped him, gripping his shirt.

“No matter what happens on Sunday, I just want you to know that I…” He paused, swallowing before he continued. “I’m proud of you.”

Thor smiled, put his arm around his shoulders, and led him back inside.

The next day, they were on a flight back to New York. Since Wrestlemania would be taking place in New Jersey, they decided Thor might as well stay at his place. It was less expensive, and they got to spend more time together.

Thor did not spend all that time with him though. He headed to the gym in the mornings, and then he headed off to… train, or plan, or strategize in the afternoons. Loki wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he understood why there was a lot of planning involved. This was the biggest event of the year, after all.

They had time for a romantic dinner that Friday, though, before Thor dragged him into the living rom and made him watch NXT TakeOver, which was taking place in Brooklyn. It seemed to be their version of Wrestlemania. It was a big deal, but not nearly as huge. Since he didn’t watch NXT, Loki only recognized a few of the wrestlers Thor had shown him before. Still, he enjoyed it. That Peter kid was good. His suit was weird, and colorful, but he was good, and so were those three warriors Thor had told him about.

There was no wrestling taking place the next night, but it was time for the Hall of Fame ceremony. Thor dressed up, looking almost as stunning as he had done at Amora's wedding. Loki told him he should try having his hair down, but Thor insisted it’d get in the way. He pressed several kisses to Loki’s lips before asking him if he would be watching it, and Loki shrugged, telling him he had nothing better to do.

Thor left, and Loki was all alone again. He made some popcorn and sat down on the couch, crossing his legs under him as he watched the wrestlers walk the red carpet. He saw glimpses of several of Thor’s friends. Luke was arm in arm with a dark haired woman Loki did not recognize. He was wearing a normal black suit while she had on a long, black dress. So this was like the Oscars for wrestlers? It certainly looked like it. Everyone was trying to look so glamorous. He saw Natasha wearing a green dress, being interviewed along with Clint, who seemed happy to be there even though he still had his injury to deal with.

They also showed a lot of older wresters, and Loki had no idea who any of them were. He didn't really pay attention until Sam and Bucky were interviewed together, Bucky in a grey suit while Sam wore a burgundy one. They joked about Bucky’s suit looking a little metallic, and how it was supposed to represent that arm of his, while Sam said that of course he had to wear a color similar to his wrestling gear. 

Finally, he spotted Thor in the background, talking to Steve, and Loki had to wonder how many of Thor’s friends had arrived without a date. They seemed to be joined by Storm, who had on a stunning white dress. They showed her being interviewed next, and she said she was very excited about the ceremony, but mostly about Wrestlemania.

Loki muted the TV when Stark came on, letting him go on and on while he rolled his eyes at him. Bruce looked ridiculously big next to him, and it was strange to see him in a suit. Loki mostly focused on his phone until they managed to get Thor to come over, and he paused with his hand on the bowl next to him as he listened to him talk. Thor was repeating much of what everyone else had been saying, telling the woman interviewing him he was excited about the ceremony.

Loki found himself wondering what it would have been like to be there with him. He would have had his eyes on Thor, of course, and perhaps Thor would have had an arm wrapped around his waist. It seemed like the partners were mostly silent, and Loki supposed he would have been as well, since he did not know these wrestlers and had nothing interesting to say about them. 

He snapped out of it when Thor mentioned Beta Ray Bill, and it took Loki a moment to realize they were discussing whether they would induct him into the Hall of Fame next year.

"I hope so," Thor said with a nod of his head. "Bill was an icon. He was one of the great ones, and he should have been inducted a long time ago. I wish it would've happened while he was still around to see it, but..." Thor gave the woman a small, sad smile. "Better late than never, right?" 

Once he had left, Loki reached for his phone, his thumbs hovering over the screen as he thought about sending Thor a text. But he didn't know what to say, so he changed his mind and put it away again. 

The actual ceremony finally started a couple of minutes later, and Loki quickly discovered it wasn't a lot of fun to watch when he did not know any of the wrestlers. It also left him confused, because they brought out two wrestlers, and Loki figured they were the ones being inducted into the Hall of Fame, but then he realized they were simply there to introduce a third one. At least some of them kept their speeches relatively short. Some of them didn't though. Some of them went on and on and on, and Loki could feel himself getting sleepy.  A few of the stories may have been pretty interesting, but only for so long. Five minutes, he could handle. Nearly twenty? He could not handle that much. 

When an hour had passed, Loki glanced down at his watch. How long was this supposed it last? And why did they have fans there? Loki had assumed this would be some kind of private ceremony, a little fancier, but they had the usual crowd there as well, and while they may have respectfully cheered most of the wrestlers, they booed one of them when he came out to introduce another one. And then they even had a celebrity thrown into the mix. Some singer Loki had heard of once or twice. Apparently he had played at a couple of Wrestlemanias, and that was enough to induct him into the Hall of Fame. 

By the time they made it to the last one, Loki was no longer sitting up. His head kept dropping, and he put it against one of the pillows, allowing himself to rest his eyes for a moment while the final wrestler told everyone his entire life story.

The last thing he could hear was something about some dude setting a house on fire back in the day. After that, he was no longer listening. When Thor came home, about two hours later, Loki opened his eyes for only a second before he went right back to sleep. He wasn't aware of Thor picking him up and carrying him to bed. 

 


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time. Wrestlemania. This is a long one. Almost thirteen thousand words, but... there's a lot happening. Obviously. Anyway, I hope you'll like it! 
> 
> I've got two videos for you guys today. The first one is [Punisher/Daredevil](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELfSb2TXtyU), and the second one is [Thanos.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAKN39_qFNY) I know I said I was gonna post Tony's entrance, but I haven't finished that one yet. His song is referenced in this chapter, though, so if anyone wants to listen to it, you can do so [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7oMBq1vkCM) And I really recommend it. Seriously, it's one of my favorite themes right now.

It was the day. _The_ day. The day he had been looking forward to ever since Thor had won the Royal Rumble back in January.

When Loki woke up, he felt like a kid on Christmas morning. But there would be no presents for him to open. Or so he thought.

Thor came back from the gym just in time for breakfast, and before they had finished eating, he left the table and returned with a big box.

“Open it,” he said, and Loki narrowed his eyes before putting his glass down. He carefully lifted the lid, raising his eyebrows when he noticed the first t-shirt, which was followed by both a second and a third one. Thor had gotten him his new shirts. The first one was red, the second black, and the third grey. Two of them had his tagline, while the third simply had a picture of the sledge hammer he was so fond of, along with the words ‘Hammer Time’. Thor told him to keep looking, and Loki picked up a pair of Thor inspired sunglasses, a mug, and a cap.

“I’m not wearing this,” Loki said, turning the red cap over while eyeing it critically.

“That’s a shame,” Thor said, pressing his lips together but still unable to suppress the smile that spread across his face. He took a sip of his juice. “But you like the shirts, right?”

“I do.” Loki gave him a nod, and ran his fingers against the soft fabric as he wondered which shirt to wear for the big day. In the end, he decided on the grey one with the black and red font.

Even though it was still early, Thor had to head over to the arena to prepare for the show. He asked Loki if he wanted to join him now or later, and Loki told him he wanted to come along. He wasn’t about to turn down a chance to get a look at the stadium and the ring before the fans arrived.

Once that had been settled, the two of them showered and got dressed, before making sure Thor had everything he needed. Loki found room for his new shirt in Thor’s suitcase, deciding to change into that later. For now, he wore one of his black suits, keeping the jacket unbuttoned and skipping the tie to make it a bit more casual. Thor threw on his shirt and a pair of jeans, and the two of them shared a kiss before they made their way out the door. 

They climbed inside the car that came over to pick them up, and then they were off. It was strange, seeing so many billboards and posters around the city. Thor was front and center of most of them, and he shook his head as he glanced out the window, chuckling when Loki told him he had to be so proud of himself.

There were still about ten hours left before the show was about to start, but some fans were already waiting outside the stadium when they arrived, and they screamed loudly when Thor stepped out of the car. Loki slipped his sunglasses on before following him, throwing a look over at the group of people who seemed to be calling for Thor to come over.

A camera team showed up before Thor had time to move, explaining that they wanted to shoot him arriving at the stadium and entering the building. Thor asked them if it’d be okay to meet the fans first, and they told him they could just shoot that part as well.

Loki got to take a step back and watch as they filmed Thor getting out of the car, taking his suitcase with him as he walked over to the fans, grabbing someone’s pen before he started signing their posters, signs, championship replicas, or whatever else they had brought with them. Loki watched him for only a short moment before he turned his eyes up, studying the huge banners they had put up outside the stadium. Thor and Thanos were on the two middle ones, and Loki took a picture with his phone before sending it to Amora.

Someone came over to lead him into the stadium so that he would be able to wait for Thor inside, away from the fans. He was taken over to security, stepping through a metal detector before he got to head inside. He sat down and waited for Thor to join him, which he finally did about thirty minutes later.

“Sorry about that,” he said, smiling brightly at him. “I didn’t want to disappoint them.” He grabbed Loki’s arm. “Come on, let’s go check out the ring.”

It was strange, stepping out there. They were still finishing the last pieces of the set, and as soon as Thor had gotten rid of the suitcase he dragged Loki over to get a good look at the stage, And the ring, of course.

The place was enormous. Loki had been to a couple of shows by now, and this was like nothing he had ever seen before. The stadium itself was big, but so was the stage, and the several screens behind it. They had set up a replica of the Brooklyn Bridge above the stage, and then the Empire State Building behind it. 

“It’s taken them about two weeks to get this up,” Thor told him, his arms crossed over his chest.

Loki glanced around, and then tilted his head back, blinking as he stared up at the sky.

“So there’ll be no ceiling?” he asked, and Thor turned his eyes up as well, lifting a hand to shield them from the sun.

“Nope. But it’ll get dark, so we won’t have to worry about the sunlight. It’s worse when we’re in L.A.”

As they walked down the steps, Loki spotted several of Thor’s friends out there, many of them with their phones out, taking pictures of the stage. He stepped closer to the ring, reaching out to touch the canvas. It was strange to think Thor would fight Thanos in there just a couple of hours later. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Thor wrapped an arm around his waist, and leaned into the touch when he felt Thor’s hot breath against his ear.

“It’s too bad we won’t be able to have sex in this ring.”

Loki snorted.

“How much do you think we would have to pay all of these people to leave?” he asked, but didn’t get an answer before Thor pulled his arm away and took a step back. Loki turned around and realized that Luke was coming over, and he gave him a look before turning his eyes back to the ring.

“Can you believe it?” Luke asked as he came closer, stopping next to Thor with his hands on his hips. “Just a couple of hours left to go.” He turned to look at Thor. “Nervous?”

“Not yet,” Thor told him with a smile.

“At least you’re in the show,” Sam muttered from behind them, and Loki turned around just in time to see Steve put an arm around his shoulders.

“You’re in the show.”

“The pre-show, Cap.” Sam crossed his arms over his chest.

“It’s still part of the show,” Steve insisted, and patted one of his arms.

“It’s still the _pre-show_. No one’s gonna be talking about the pre-show tomorrow. They’ll be talking about your match with Thanos.” He pointed at Thor. “And you’re match with Hulk.” He pointed at Luke. “And your match with Bucky. They should’ve just added me to that match.”

“The plan was always for me and Bucky to be alone.”

“You know damn well they could’ve found a way to add me to that match if they really wanted to,” Sam insisted. “But now I’m just part of the pre-show. No storyline to speak of.”

“I know how you feel.” Rhodey joined them, his eyes on the ring as he came closer.

“See, at least someone’s on my side,” Sam said, and ducked away from Steve’s arm before pulling Rhodey out of there. Steve and Luke shared a look before they walked away as well, and Loki raised his eyebrows before moving closer to Thor. 

“So,” he began as the two of them walked by the ramp and watched as a couple of people worked on finishing the stage. “No one wants to be in the pre-show?”

“People would rather be in the pre-show than not be on the card at all,” Thor said. “But I understand their frustration. Having no storyline, no sense of direction… That’s not good. Usually, that’s when you start wondering if they’re going to stop using you. I’m lucky. I’m in the main event. No matter what happens, I’ll still have that.”

Loki nodded his head, and took another look around the stadium, wondering where he would be sitting.

“How many people?” he asked.

There was a brief pause.

“About eighty thousand. Probably a little more than that.”

Loki watched the still empty seats, imagining what it would look like when every single one of them was filled.

“And how many on a normal Raw?”

“That depends, but I’d say about… ten thousand. Maybe fifteen. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less.”

So almost eight times as many fans as usual. Eight times the amount of annoying people Loki would have to deal with. Though he was determined to spend as much time backstage as he could.

“Now you see why this is a big deal,” Thor said, smiling as he looked at him. “And these aren’t just any fans. These are the hardcore ones. They’ve been travelling from all over the world just to be here for this. Trust me, it’s going to be… something else. I can almost hear them cheering.”

Loki rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything.

They walked a little closer to the stage, and Loki couldn’t help but wonder if the size of it would make the wrestlers look smaller than usual.

“Just wait until you see my entrance,” Thor said, and Loki glanced over at him.

“Why? What’s so special about it?”

“It’s a Wrestlemania entrance,” Thor said, like he should have known what that was all about. “It’s going to be a little… flashier than usual. That’s one of the great things about this show. We get to show off. Some people have limos, tanks, marching bands… You name it.”

“And what will you be doing?” Loki asked, knowing full well Thor wasn’t going to answer. And he didn’t. He just gave him a secretive look, putting a finger over his lips and shaking his head. Bastard.

They headed backstage, where things seemed to be even busier than usual. Loki saw Sharon running around giving people orders, and Steve and Bucky talking to someone about their match. He saw another camera team following people around, shooting some kind of behind the scenes special, and Loki was asked to step aside so they could get Thor to say a couple of words about how great the show was going to be.

Many wrestlers looked like they had just arrived, walking around with sunglasses on and dragging their suitcases behind them. Some were wearing suits, while some had opted for more casual clothes, like leather jackets, or just t-shirts. The place was so big, some people were even driving around in golf carts.

As they walked through the hallways, he caught sight of last minute alterations being done to the wrestling gear, and from the looks of it a lot of the wrestlers would be wearing something new for this show. He asked Thor if he was getting a new outfit, but Thor shook his head, telling him he wasn’t about to change a thing.

Loki had to stop when they came across a large whiteboard in the middle of the hallway. There were several notes on it, but the one thing that immediately caught his attention was what had to be the order of the matches. He saw Thor’s and Thanos’s names at the very bottom of the list, since they would be last. The pre-show apparently consisted of a Battle Royal, and he assumed that was what Sam and Rhodey would be participating in. The women had two matches - one for the new Women’s Championship, while the other was a normal tag team match. Bruce and Luke were going to be the second match of the night, while Steve and Bucky had theirs closer to the end.

“What if I were to erase some of these names?” Loki asked, casually tapping his fingers against his chin. “I could add Stark to Luke's match. Would that make it official?”

“You could give it a try,” Thor said with a smile. “But that wouldn’t be fair to Luke. He’d have two people to fight instead of one.”

“I think he could do it,” Loki insisted. “He’d just need to toss Stark out of the ring, and that would be it.”

Thor laughed before putting an arm around his shoulders and dragging him away from there before he could do any serious damage.

He took him to the gym, where a lot of wrestlers looked to be getting one last workout in. Loki sat down on a bench, watching as the wrestlers flexed their bare arms, sprayed water onto their shirtless torsoes, and wiped sweat from their foreheads with fluffy towels. While none of them looked as good as Thor, he couldn’t complain about the view. Thor stepped over to the weights, and Loki tilted his head to the side as he watched him, wondering if he would be able to get away with taking a picture and sending it to Amora. She may have been on her honeymoon, but as far as he was concerned she was the one who should have been jealous.

While Thor’s back was turned, Loki subtly lifted his phone and took a picture, trying to get as many wrestlers in it as he could.

‘It’s good to be me right now,’ he wrote, and sent it off to Amora.

He barely had time to put his phone away before Natasha came over, dressed in leggings and a grey hoodie. She sat down next to him, and the two of them chatted for a while before Karnilla and Emma plopped down on the bench next to theirs. Natasha’s attention was pulled away from him as they called out her name. That was okay, though. Loki was far too busy watching as Thor tossed his shirt aside and got down on the floor to do some pushups, and he immediately wondered why he didn’t come with him to the gym more often.

“You know Fury is here, right?” Emma asked, and Natasha nodded her head.

“I saw him arrive a couple of minutes ago. But I don’t know what's going on with Pierce.”

“What about Thanos?” Karnilla asked, and looked over at Thor, who pushed himself up on his feet and reached for a towel, wiping the back of his neck with it as he came closer.

“I don’t think he’s here yet,” he said. “He usually likes to take his time, doesn’t he? I’ll be happy if we get to say one word to each other before the match.” Thor held his hand out, waiting for Loki to take it before he pulled him up from the bench.

They headed over to the cafeteria a couple of hours later. Once they had their food, they joined Thor's friends at one of the large, round tables. Loki had expected them to talk about nothing but Wrestlemania, but instead they were discussing music, how nice it would be to go to sleep later that night, and whether any of them had any regrets. Clint, who was still injuried and forced to sit this one out, let everyone know that the only thing he regretted was being careless enough to get hurt. 

"It happens to the best of us," Thor assured him with a grin, and Clint raised his glass. 

"Cheers to that." 

They went on to talk about favorite Wrestlemania entrances, but were interrupted when Stark entered the room. He was carrying the Money in the Bank briefcase, which he waved in Thor’s face before he joined them at the table.

“It’s too bad you’re not fighting tonight, Tony,” Steve told him. “We could have used your song to prepare us all.”

“It was a great theme song,” Thor agreed with a nod of his head, and Loki frowned lightly as he looked at him.

“How good could it have been?” he asked, a little too loudly, and everyone turned to look at him.

“Oh, it was _glorious_ ,” Stark said, nodding his head with a serious look on his face.

“Wait, I’ve got it,” Clint said, holding up a finger while he scrolled through something on his phone. Soon, a song began to play. At first, there was only the sound of a piano, and then the lyrics came along. It reminded Loki of a Queen song, except it wasn't nearly as good. Clint was the first to sing along, though he was quickly joined by Thor, the two of them making dramatic hand gestures to go along with the words.

“Glorious!” they sang loudly, and soon enough everyone else at the table joined in. “No, I won’t give in, I won’t give in, till I’m victorious!”

Loki watched them with raised eyebrows, not sure how he was supposed to react. Everyone else in the room had turned to look at their table, and Loki felt like standing up and announcing loudly that he was not part of whatever was going on. Instead, Stark was the one to stand up, and he bowed deeply as the song came to an end.

“Thank you, thank you,” he said, blowing kisses at them all before grabbing his beloved breifcase and leaving.

Thor got up as well a couple of minutes later. He had to rehearse his entrance and make sure everything was working, whatever that meant, and he explicitly told Loki he could not come.

“This needs to be a surprise,” he told him, and made sure he would be okay staying there with his friends before he exited the room. The ones left returned to talking about their favorite theme songs, and Loki stayed mostly silent as he listened to them, only stepping away from the table when he got a call from Amora.

She was lying on a beach somewhere, apparently, but was curious to know if Thor was nervous about his big match. Loki told her he seemed pretty calm so far, and that there was a lot happening backstage.

“Do you think he’s going to win?” Amora asked him, and Loki parted his lips, hesitating before he answered her.

“I don’t know. Sometimes I think he will, but… With the way he’s talking, I feel like he might lose.”

Amora confessed she wasn’t sure either. It seemed to be Thor’s time, but Thanos was important to the company, and they would probably be reluctant to hand the title over to someone else. Her words made Loki's chest clench uncomfortably, and when she told him she had to go a couple of minutes later, he simply nodded his head before ending the call. 

When Thor finally came back, he only stayed long enough to announce that he had too many favorite theme songs to pick just one, before it was time for him to leave again. He needed to get changed, and this time Loki was actually allowed to come. Luke left with them as well, and Loki followed the other two through the hallways while keeping his eyes on his phone.

He didn’t look up until they ran into Sam, who had two small boys with him. He introduced them as his nephews, and put his hands on their backs so that he could push them a little closer to Thor and Luke. The boys' eyes were wide as they stared up at them, and Loki couldn't blame them because he'd had the very same reaction the first time he'd met Thor. 

“They’ve been very excited to meet you,” Sam told Luke, who bent down and greeted them both with a smile and a handshake. 

They seemed pretty impressed by Thor as well, and the two little boys made them promise that they would try their hardest to defeat Hulk and Thanos.

“Thanks,” Sam said as soon as his nephews had run off to their mom. “I’m their hero now. They’ll never stop talking about this.”

It seemed like Sam wasn’t the only one who had brought his family. Loki saw plenty of wrestlers walking around with people who had to be their wives, kids, or maybe nieces and nephews. For a moment, he wondered if Thor was disappointed his family hadn't showed up to watch the show, but then he realized that at least he was there for him. Thor actually wanted him to be there, and since they were a couple, he supposed he was family. Sort of. 

As the hours went by, the atmosphere backstage slowly but surely began to change. Most of the wrestlers had changed into their wrestling gear by now, and it felt like wherever they went, Loki spotted them jumping around, stretching, or downing bottles of water. The official Wrestlemania songs were playing wherever they went, and it was obvious that the the start of the show was drawing closer.

Loki was beginning to get nervous, though he didn't have as much of a reason to be since he wouldn't be in the show. Still, it was hard not to get nervous when everyone around him was. Even Thor, who insisted he never got nervous, seemed to be clenching and unclenching his fists more and more often.

“I think the worst part is knowing I’m last,” he told Loki as they sat down in the cafeteria one last time. “The waiting is…” He shook his head. “And we’re closing the show. We need to be better than the ones who’ve come before us.”

Loki put a hand on his knee, giving him what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

“You will be great. I know you will be.”

Thor’s friends soon joined them as well, all of them dressed in their wrestling gear, and Steve stood up to make a speech, telling them he knew the show would be great, and that no matter what happened he was proud of them all.

“Let’s go out there and kick some ass,” Sam agreed.

Thor leaned closer to Loki, nudged his arm and told him it was probably time for him to get out there.

“You don’t want to miss Sam’s match,” he pointed out, and Sam nodded his head.

“Yeah, don’t miss the pre-show. It’s the most important part, I’m telling you.”

Loki had to promise that he would be cheering for him before he was allowed to leave the table with Thor. As they walked through the hallways, someone hurried past them and yelled out that it was almost time, and Thor let out a chuckle.

“For some people. I’ve still got a couple of hours left.”

“I can’t wait,” Loki said, the two of them coming to a stop as Thor asked one of the assistants to bring him out to the fans. She nodded her head, and waited patiently for the two of them to say goodbye.

Loki leaned in to give Thor a good luck kiss, letting his hands rest on his chest as they pulled back. "No matter what happens, just make sure you give him everything you've got."

Thor nodded. "I'll try." 

It wasn't the answer Loki had been hoping for, but he let it slide, pressing one last kiss to Thor's cheek before he left him.

The assistant led him through the building, and Loki was half attempted to ask if they could just grab one of those golf carts when he caught sight of a big, tall man in front of them. Even though he had only seen him once, there was no mistaking that face.

Thanos looked like he had just arrived. He was dressed in normal clothes, and carrying a big bag. The big brown coat he was wearing covered most of his body, and yet it only added to his impressive size. 

As Loki and the assistant came closer, Thanos turned his head in their direction. His gaze seemed to be drawn towards Loki, who slowed down as their eyes met. The smirk that appeared on Thanos's face sent a shiver down Loki's spine. There was no way he actually knew who he was, and yet Thanos continued to watch him for a long moment before he threw his bag over his shoulder and disappeared down the hallway.

Loki swallowed, and realized that he had fallen behind, walking fast to catch up with the assistant.

Finally, he was let out to join the rest of the fans. And boy, were there a lot of fans. They were still rushing into the building, and yet Loki already felt like there were more people than he was used to. Everyone was talking excitedly, singing and chanting and doing everything they could to be as annoying as possible. Many were wearing wrestling shirts, and Loki could only hope his Thor shirt didn't make anyone believe he was one of them.

He headed out to find his seat, and while the stadium wasn’t nearly filled yet, it still felt… big. As usual, Thor had gotten him a seat close to the ring, and Loki glanced down at his ticket before finding the right place to sit, taking a deep breath as he looked up at the sky. It still wasn’t dark outside, and it was strange to be able to watch the clouds as he waited for the show to begin.

They introduced the new Women’s Championship during the kickoff, and Loki joined the applause that took place once they had revealed the new belt. It was white, red, and golden, and as far as Loki was concerned it looked a lot better than the old one had.

They had to wait another couple of minutes before it was time for the Battle Royal. The only reason Loki even knew what it was was because Thor had explained it to him earlier. It was like a Royal Rumble match, except all of the participants would be inside the ring at the start of the match.

As the ring announcer introduced it, the wrestlers began to make their way to the ring. Only four of them got an actual entrance. Falcon, Crossbones, Rhodes, and Deadpool. Loki counted to about twenty wrestlers once they were all inside the ring, and he leaned forward as the bell rang and they immediately started attacking each other.

He quickly realized that twenty wrestlers inside the ring at the same time easily led to chaos. He could barely keep track of anyone. One after the other, they were thrown over the top rope. Only when they had about ten wrestlers left was he able to keep track of who was fighting whom. Falcon and Rhodes seemed to be teaming up, which was probably a good thing because Crossbones was ruthless. Loki had spotted five or so wrestlers being thrown or pushed out by him.

By the time the match was coming to an end, the stadium seemed almost full. It was still fairly bright outside, and Loki had to look away from the ring to let his gaze sweep across the other side of the stadium. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen that many people in one place.

Falcon had just thrown Rhino out of the ring when Crossbones rushed forward, and Falcon barely had time to turn around before he was pushed against the ropes. He fell over them, but managed to hold on, only one of his feet hitting the floor before he dragged himself inside again.

Meanwhile, Crossbones had chosen to go after Rhodes instead, and Falcon couldn’t get there in time to help. Rhodes was pushed out, and Crossbones turned his eyes to Falcon, who gave him a determined look as he pushed himself up on his feet. There were some cheers for him, and Loki could hear a Falcon chant in the distance, but it wasn’t loud enough to really take off.

There was a brief stare off before the two of them rushed forward. Crossbones may have been stronger, but Falcon was faster, and he managed to avoid most of his punches. It was hard for him to try to get Crossbones over the ropes though. He tried, more than once, but Crossbones always managed to pull himself out of his grip.

Finally, after a brutal assault, Crossbones managed to lift Falcon up on his shoulders, and there was a collective gasp coming from the audience as he walked over to the ropes, easily tossing him out this time. Falcon landed on the floor, and Loki frowned as Crossbones’s music came on. There were loud boos from the audience, and the cameras focused on the disappointed look on Falcon’s face as he hit his fist against the barricade.

Loki was just thinking about what a strange way this was to make the audience excited for the show, when Crossbones jumped out of the ring. Seemingly not done yet, he grabbed Falcon’s arm and dragged him up, pushing him back inside the ring. He left him in the middle of it, shouting something at him before he aimed a kick at his back. The boos were getting louder as he went after one of his arms next, and Falcon yelled loudly in pain as he tried to roll away from him.

Crossbones was getting ready for another kick when some people in the audience screamed, and Loki turned his eyes away from the two of them just in time to see Rhodes gliding into the ring and tgrowing himself at Crossbones to get him away from Falcon.

In the end, the two of them worked together to get an enraged Crossbones out of the ring, and he begrudgingly backed up the ramp, shouting at them while Rhodes and Falcon were left standing inside the ring. Falcon’s music came on this time, and the audience sounded a lot happier as the two of them raised their arms in unison.

They eventually left the ring, and now that the pre-show was over and the actual show was about to begin, Loki could tell people were getting excited. There were a lot of chants filling the arena, and Loki pulled his phone out of his pocket to take a couple of pictures he could send to Amora. They were playing music from the speakers, and Loki was mindlessly nodding his head along to one of the songs when he heard someone mention Thor’s name. It turned out to be the three guys sitting in front of him, and Loki leaned forward so that he would be able to hear what they were saying.

“So what do you think? Is he winning?” one of them asked.

“I think he is,” his friend said, while the other one shook his head.

“No. No way. Thanos is the biggest attraction they have. They’re not gonna take the title away from him. Thor’s gonna get to look strong, but Thanos is not gonna lose.”

“Fine, then what about the Hulk? You think he’s gonna cash in?”

The other two thought about their answers for a long moment.

“I don’t know. If Thanos does win there’s no way he’s going to do it. No one in their right mind would cash in on him. But if Thor wins he might.”

“I think it’s gonna end up being a triple threat,” the other one said. “He’ll cash in at the beginning of the match and then he’ll just try to get Thanos out of the way before he goes for Thor. We all know he can beat him.”

Loki’s chest tightened at their words, and he slowly leaned back in his seat as the three of them moved on to talk about the Hulk’s match with Cage. As if he wasn’t already nervous about Thor’s match with Thanos. He didn’t want to have to worry about the Hulk as well. Hopefully, Luke would be able to not just win, but beat him so badly he wouldn’t dare to show his face again.

At last, it was time for the show to start, and Loki realized that his heart was beating a little faster than usual as the audience began to cheer. They didn’t start with a match though. Instead, some singer Loki had never heard of came out to sing America the Beautiful, which was followed by a set of fireworks to get them all pumped for the show.

After that, there was a video package, showing clips of both New Jersey, New York, and the wrestlers while talking about how important it was to stick together or something like that. Loki didn’t really listen, he was too focused on Thor’s face as soon as it showed up on the big screens located around the stadium, and he felt a swell of pride in his chest when the audience cheered a little extra loudly for him. The video changed to showing nothing but the wrestlers, accompanied by Warriors by Imagine Dragons. Of course, Thor and Thanos got most of the spotlight, and Loki could not believe he still had to wait several hours to watch that match.

Once the video had ended, it was pretty much straight down to business. The Cage vs. Hulk match was set to open the show, and Cage was the first wrestler to come out. His entrance seemed pretty normal, though it had to feel spectacular just to walk out on that huge stage and see the crowd. More than eighty thousand people watched as Cage came out, and he motioned for the crowd to get louder before he made his way down the long ramp and over to the ring.

Hulk came out next, obviously accompanied by Stark, who was dressed in a red suit with a golden tie, as usual holding up the Money in the Bank briefcase for everyone in the audience to see.

Loki was rooting for Luke throughout the match, and he clapped his hands together every time he managed to pull of a particularly spectacular move. Hulk was a little taller than him, but they were both strong, and somewhat evenly matched.

Cage started out strong, then Hulk got the better of him, but then Cage managed to get the advantage once more. Back and forth they went, and the whole audience seemed to be on their feet when they made it to one of the top ropes. Loki had never seen Hulk up there before, and he watched with a furrowed brow as the two of them punched each other. Cage looked to be losing, but then he managed to push Hulk down, who landed on his back. Cage was still on the top rope, and the audience let out an expectant murmur as he looked around, raising one fist into the sky before he jumped, landing with his body on top of Hulk’s stomach. He pinned him to the mat, and the referee slipped forward, hitting the palm of his hand against the mat three times.

Loki was almost as excited as the people around him as most of the audience cheered happily. He may not have made any noise, but he clapped his hands together enthusiastically as Stark pulled Hulk out of the ring. He thought it was especially great to watch the two of them make their way out of there with annoyed looks on their faces, and he reminded himself to thank Luke later for that wonderful experience.

Next up, it was time for the tag team match, the match Loki was pretty sure he was the least excited about. Well, that and the ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. It was objectively a rather good match, and the people around him seemed to really like it, but Loki was glad when it was over and they could move on to the next one, which was the ladder match.

Two matches in a row he wasn’t particularly excited about, but that was fine. The ladder match turned out to be a lot more thrilling than he had first thought it would be, probably because there was a lot they could do with ladders. It reminded him of the Money in the Bank match. The championship was hanging up there, and they all had to try and climb up to get it. The audience screamed as the wrestlers climbed, pushed each other off the ladders, and fell out of the ring before Gambit finally managed to get his hands on the championship. Once more, the audience seemed happy about it, though Loki was definitely more excited about the upcoming match.

It was time for Punisher vs. Daredevil, and Loki was glad that it was now pretty dark outside because the two of them had the kind of entrances that just wouldn’t look as great if the sun was shining above them. They showed a video first, to remind everyone of their feud, before Daredevil’s music came on. They seemed to have gone for even more pyrotechnics than usual, and there was a lot of fire on that stage as he made his way down the ramp. Punisher didn’t have any fire, but they did turn off all the lights for him as he came out on stage, a single spotlight showing him off.

While Loki didn’t feel emotionally invested in their match, he did enjoy their dynamic, and he was looking forward to what he assumed would be a great match. And it turned out to be just that. The two of them were locked inside a steel cage surrounding the ring, which was nice because it made the match a little different. The chemistry between the two of them was spot on, and there were some thrilling moments spent on top of that steel cage before Punisher finally won the match.

Loki was pretty sure the women’s match was coming up next, but when he turned his eyes to the stage it looked like they were getting ready for some other kind of performance. He could see drums, eletric guitars, and microphone stands.

The ones responsible for one of the official Wrestlemania theme songs were about to sing, and Loki groaned inwardly because he just wanted to get to the next match. A female singer and a male rapper came out on stage, and as he looked around the arena, Loki could tell he wasn’t the only one who wasn’t too excited about it. Far from everyone in the audience cheered for them, and he figured people were thinking the same thing he was. They were there to watch wrestling, not a concert.

While they sang, Loki busied himself with his phone, taking some more pictures for Amora. She sent him back a text telling him he should get a picture of Thor and Thanos in the ring together when it was time for their match, and Loki let her know he would probably be too nervous  to remember to take any pictures.

The performance came to an end after about five minutes, and Loki wondered if people were cheering because they’d liked it or because it was over. He barely had time to finish that thought before it was time for the women’s match, and he turned his eyes up when the stadium went dark. Storm was the first to come out, smoke and lightning filling up the big stage. Instead of her usual black outfit, she was wearing a white one, and she had even let her hair out. The music and the soft lights set the perfect mood for her entrance, and even Loki had to admit there was something incredible about seeing eighty thousand people raise their arms in unison, copying Storm’s own movements. Finally, she was in the ring, and she turned her eyes to the stage, where it looked like they had set up for another performance.

Mystique’s entrance wasn’t quite as eventful, but she did have a woman on stage singing her theme song as she was escorted to the ring by six bodyguards. She posed for the audience before climbing inside, slowly turning her attention to her opponent. Storm took a couple of steps forward, but was stopped by the referee before she could get to Mystique.

Mystique held up her championship one last time, and pressed her lips to it before she handed it over to the referee. It was announced they were fighting for the new championship, and then they rang the bell. Storm caught everyone off guard by almost immediately pushing Mystique out of the ring. A big part of the audience stood up as she rushed over and climbed to the top rope, and there were loud shouts as she jumped, spinning gracefully while in the air before she landed on Mystique, sending them both to the floor.

Storm pushed herself up, quickly pulling Mystique back inside the ring, but when she followed she got a kick to the stomach that sent her onto her back. Mystique immediately went for the pin, but the referee only got to count to one before Storm kicked out.

The first couple of minutes set the tone for the rest of the match. They constantly went back and forth, Mystique trying to pin Storm every chance she got. It was clear she was desperately trying to end the match as quickly as possible, but Storm kicked out every single time, and always got back up again. There were chants for both of them, and after a particularly amazing stunt made by Storm from the top rope, Loki could hear both “This is awesome!” and “Holy shit!” She went for the pin, but Mystique managed to kick out at the last possible second.

Storm let out a frustrated yell, but when she turned around to do something else, Mystique grabbed her arm to get her into her submission hold. Most of the audience got to their feet, but Storm didn’t tap. She crawled to the ropes, which forced Mystique to break her hold on her. It was her turn to look frustrated, and she forced Storm onto her back before she began to kick her stomach. The referee forced her to back off, and Mystique turned her eyes to the crowd, holding her arms out as they began to boo her.

“You can’t take this from me!” she shouted at Storm. “Do you hear me?! This is mine! I’m the champion! You’ll never be-” Storm cut her off with a well aimed kick, and Mystique stumbled backwards as the audience cheered loudly. She managed to get Mystique onto her back, before rushing over to climb to the top rope. Once again, most of the audience got to their feet, and Loki slowly did as well, knowing Storm was probably about to do her finisher. Right before she was about to jump, though, Mystique got up and ran over to the ropes, throwing her down from there. Instead of attacking her again, she began to climb, and the audience shouted excitedly as she held her arms up into the air, mocking Storm's pose. She jumped forward, landing on top of Storm with her arms and legs spread, just like Storm did to finish off her opponents. She raised one of her legs, and the referee got down, hitting his hand against the mat - one, two, three.

Loki raised his eyebrows as Mystique’s music came on, and he realized a second later that his mouth was open. He looked around, seeing some other surprised looks, before turning his eyes back to the ring. Mystique was handed the new Women’s Championship, and she looked at it with tears in her eyes before raising it above her head, the stadium being filled with both boos and cheers. She got out of the ring, fireworks exploding in the background as she walked backwards up the ramp with the white and red championship held high above her head. Loki looked back to the ring where Storm was still on her back, a disappointed look on her face as she stared up at the sky.

Loki felt like he needed a break after that match, but there was no time to rest since the next match was Cap vs. Bucky, one he had been looking forward to for quite some time. They showed another video, clips of the two of them as tag team partners before Bucky left and Cap became the US Champion. It showed Bucky coming back and attacking people backstage, and while Loki normally would have rolled his eyes at the sad music they used, he supposed it was fitting.

Once the video was over there were a couple of seconds of silence, and then what looked to be about twenty soldiers came out on stage, all of them saluting as Cap showed up. The man in question was not dressed in his usual ridiculous getup. Instead he was wearing some kind of military looking outfit, except it was blue with a big white star on his chest. Loki couldn’t help but be just a little impressed. Unfortunately, as soon as Cap was inside the ring, he put his hands on his chest and ripped the costume right off, revealing his usual gear underneath. Loki pursed his lips, and shook his head while he waited for Bucky’s music.

When it came on, the people in the crowd looked around, trying to figure out where he would be coming out from. As usual, Bucky ended up walking through the audience. He met Cap’s eyes before he jumped over the barricade, climbing into the ring where he went to his corner, pulling off the mask and goggles. Cap handed his championship over to the referee, who held it up while the ring announcer reminded everyone that this was a championship match. Bucky didn't even glance at it, his eyes following Cap's every move. 

As soon as the bell rang, Bucky rushed forward, ducking out of the way of Cap’s fist and slinging an arm around his neck. He forced him down onto his knees, Cap gasping for breath while trying to force his arm away. When he finally managed it, he threw Bucky over his own head, putting a foot on top of his chest before he pulled on his arm.

The match was quite slow at first, Cap doing his best to hold Bucky down, but then it picked up a couple of minutes later, the two of them delivering one quick move after the other. Cap jumped up and kicked Bucky’s shoulder, and Bucky proceeded to bounce off the ropes before he rushed forward and threw himself feet first at Cap’s chest.

It didn’t take long before they had travelled to the outside of the ring, throwing as many punches as they could before Bucky pushed Cap against the barricade. He hit his back against it, and a pained groan escaped his lips, but he didn't have time to rest before Bucky had rushed forward and speared him, the barricade collapsing and the two of them falling onto it. Loki had to glance up at the screens, where the cameramen were trying to get a good shot of them.

Bucky was first to get back on his feet, and he shook his head, cracking his knuckles before he grabbed Cap and pulled him up as well, He dragged him over to the Spanish announce table, letting him go long enough for him to get the table ready, the commentators standing up and backing away as Bucky threw their monitors aside. He pulled Cap by his hair over to the other announce table next to it, and dragged him on top of it, wrapping his arms around his waist. He lifted him up, and the audience screamed loudly as he threw him down, Cap breaking through the table. 

Bucky raised one fist into the air before he jumped down, sliding back inside the ring. The referee began to count, and Bucky paced back and forth while watching Cap, who still wasn’t moving. The audience joined in, everyone shouting out the numbers. Soon they had reached seven, and only then did Cap begin to push himself up. If they reached ten, he would be out, but they counted to eight and he still wasn’t standing.

Only when they reached nine did he stumble forward, sliding into the ring just as the referee was about to say ten. He  didn't have time to do anything, though, before Bucky had advanced on him again, letting out a loud shout as his foot collided with his back, forcing him down to his stomach.

“Why won’t you stay down?!” he shouted, kicking him several times. “Stay down!” He backed off only when the referee forced him to, and the cameras zoomed in on the frustrated look on his face. Cap was pushing himself back up again, his eyes barely open as he ended up on his knees.

“Don’t make me do this! Bucky yelled, and delivered a hard punch to the side of his head. The audience had stopped chanting, and the stadium was almost eerily silent as they watched Cap get to his feet.

“I can do this all day,” he said loudly, raising his fists, and Bucky let out another loud yell before he rushed forward, but this time Cap was ready for him, and he delivered a clothesline that sent Bucky flying down onto his back. That got a cheer from the audience, but Cap had to take a moment, breathing heavily before he pulled him up. He had Bucky leaning against his body, making sure that he had one of his arms thrown over his shoulders before he lifted him up and slammed him back down again. The audience counted along with the referee - one, two, three - and then everyone got to their feet.

Cap’s music began to play as it was announced that he was still the United States Champion, and the referee handed the belt back to him as soon as Cap was back on his feet. There was no smile on Cap’s face, though. He raised an arm into the air, but his eyes were on Bucky, who had dragged himself over to the corner of the ring. As soon as the referee stepped away, Cap approached him slowly, throwing the championship over his shoulder before he held his hand out. There was excited shouting from the audience, and it was like they were all holding their breaths as they waited to see what Bucky would do.

Bucky eyed Cap’s stretched out hand for a long moment, glaring at it, before he finally reached out and took it. Cap pulled him up, and the two of them were left staring at each other. The audience began some kind of chant, and it took Loki a moment to realize they were saying “Hug it out!”

Bucky turned his eyes back to Cap, gave him a look, before he turned around and climbed out of the ring. Disappointed groans filled the stadium, but Bucky kept on walking, grabbing his arm with a pained look on his face before he disappeared up the ramp. Cap was left in the ring, his brow furrowed, as his music began to play once more.

He left shortly after, and it was time for a women’s tag team match. It was another one Loki was not particularly interested in, which he was actually grateful for because he felt like he needed a bit of a break before it was time for the big one. The match didn’t last very long, Karnilla and Emma coming out as the winners, and as soon as they had left the stage, Loki began to fidget with his hands.

They showed yet another video, and Loki got to see Thanos winning the championship, and defeating a bunch of wrestlers in order to keep it. Thanos looked brutal in every single clip they showed, and Loki found himself getting more and more nervous.

The video also showed Thor winning the Royal Rumble, Thanos’s goons attacking both him and his friends, before ending with the big brawl between the two of them. The music they used was just dramatic enough to make Loki’s leg bounce, and he let out a shaky sigh as soon as the video was over, pushing himself up along with the rest of the audience.

The stadium was dark once more, and Loki held his breath as the music began to play. There were sparks of lightning on the stage, the only source of light as they all waited for Thor to appear. But the stage was empty, and there was a confused murmur throughout the audience, until one after the other pointed at something in the sky. Loki turned his eyes up, his heart nearly stopping as he realized that Thor was being lowered down from the Brooklyn Bridge replica. It looked like he was flying, and the audience cheered as he landed on the stage, hitting his hammer against the ground just as the stage lit up with even more flashes of lightning.

Thor stood up, his eyes sweeping across the stadium before he slowly began to make his way over to the ring. As soon as he had climbed inside, he headed over to the corner, climbing up to pose with his hammer raised into the air. There were both chants and loud screaming coming from the audience, and Loki smiled as he watched him. He heard some people chanting Thor’s name, and he was almost tempted to join in. He could only imagine the amount of adrenaline rushing through Thor’s body at the moment, how fast his heart must have been beating, and he wished he could have been down there with him.

Eventually, just as Thor climbed back down again and tossed his cape into the audience, the music died down, and everyone turned their eyes to the stage, including Thor, as they waited for Thanos to come out.

The first sound of the bell sent a shiver down Loki’s spine, and he closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, taking another deep breath before he opened them. Those hooded figures who had shown up before entered the stage, smoke whirling around their feet as they formed two lines down the ramp. At last, Thanos himself showed up, and loud shouting filled the audience as he stood there, wearing a hooded robe himself, though his was not black, but a deep blue adorned with gold. The screens around the stadium zoomed in on Thor, who looked tense as he waited for him to come down. Thanos seemed to be taking his time, though. His entrance was long - much longer than Thor’s had been.

As soon as he had climbed inside, Thor took a step forward, and Thanos reached up to pull his hood back. The two of them glared at each other, Thor glancing at the championship resting on Thanos’s shoulder before he clenched his jaw.

The bell rang, and everyone in the audience slowly sat back down again as the two of them began to circle each other. Thor was the first to run forward, but Thanos immediately sent him flying into one of the ring posts. Loki flinched as Thor fell down to his knees, biting down on the inside of his bottom lip as he watched him get back up again.

Thor turned around, met Thanos’s eyes, and then went for it again, but Thanos pushed him away, sending him onto his back.

There was a frustrated look on Thor’s face as he used the ropes to pull himself up. He rolled his shoulders, bouncing on the spot before he ran forward a third time. Thanos reached out for him again, but this time Thor ducked and managed to get an arm around his neck. Thanos quickly freed himself and turned around, the two of them delivering as many punches as they could.

The match quickly began to resemble their previous brawl, and the audience cheered for it until Thanos had Thor forced into the corner. He pushed him up against the turnbuckle, grabbing his face and pressing it against it. Thor somehow managed to find the strength to push him off, and he quickly tried to lift Thanos onto his shoulders, but couldn’t make it, Thanos slipping out of his grip. Thor gritted his teeth before he wrapped his arms around Thanos again, but before he could even attempt to lift him up, Thanos had elbowed him and forced him to let go. He easily lifted Thor up, and Loki flinched once more as he threw Thor over his head.

“You thought you could challenge me?!” Thanos shouted as he turned around and circled Thor, who was on his back in the middle of the ring. “I’ll show you what true power really is!” He bent down and grabbed Thor’s arm, pushing him against the ropes, and Thor fell out, landing on the floor with a groan. Thanos slowly followed him, climbing out of the ring and giving Thor a glance before he turned his eyes to the announce table. The commentators quickly shot out of their chairs and backed off, leaning against the barricade as they watched him tear the table apart with ease, discarding the monitors, cords, papers, and water bottles.

Thor was pushing himself up behind him, and Loki’s pulse sped up as he got to his feet and turned his eyes to Thanos, who still had his back to him. Thor seemed to gather himself, nodding once before he ran forward, but Thanos stepped out of the way and gave Thor a push, leaving him with his back against the announce table. Thor stood back up again, but before he could do anything Thanos had one of his hands wrapped tightly around his throat.

Some of the people around Loki got to their feet, but Loki was too busy biting on his nails to join them. The camera zoomed in on the shocked look on Thor’s face, his eyes wide as he stared at Thanos, who grinned at him in return. They stood like that for a couple of seconds, and then Thanos lifted him up - still with his hand wrapped firmly around Thor’s throat - and slammed him straight through the table. Thor crashed down hard, pieces of the table scattering around him, and he ended up motionless on top of the rubble.

The audience was loud, chants of “Holy shit!” scattered throughout the stadium, and Loki felt his heart sink slowly in his chest as Thanos stepped back and turned away from Thor, the grin still on his face as he spread his arms out.

“Is this your hero?” he shouted out at the audience, while the referee bent down to check on Thor. “Did you really think he could defeat me?” The fans responded with loud boos, and Loki turned his eyes over to one of the big screens, relieved when the cameras showed Thor moving his arms. Thanos turned back to him just as Thor was trying to get to his feet, and he eyed him for a moment before he stepped closer. This time, Thanos was the one to attack, and Thor the one forced to counter it. As soon as Thanos got close enough, he put a hand on his back and shoved him against the barricade. Loud screams errupted from the audience as Thanos fell to his knees, and Thor stumbled  back a couple of steps as he watched him.

People were chanting something again, and it took Loki a moment to realize they seemed to be shouting “Get your hammer!” Thor looked out into the crowd, frowning lightly for a couple of seconds before he seemed to realize it as well. He smiled, and threw one more look at Thanos before he nodded his head. His body seemed a bit stiff, and there was a slight limp as he ran over to the other side of the ring where he had left it. He picked up the hammer and turned around, pausing when he realized that Thanos had already gotten to his feet. The two of them stared at each other. Thor slowly walked closer to him, and Thanos stepped past the destroyed table, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter as he took in the sight of the  weapon in his hand.

Thor tried to hit him with the hammer, but he wasn’t fast enough. Thanos hit the side of his neck with his elbow, kicking his stomach with his big boot before he sent him crashing into the steel steps leading up to the ring. Excited screams filled the stadium as Thanos turned his eyes down to the hammer, which had fallen out of Thor’s grasp and was now lying by his feet. Loki’s eyes widened as Thanos picked it up, and for a second he was terrified that he would do exactly what Mystique had done to Storm - finish Thor with one of his own moves - but then he tossed it aside with a laugh. Instead of using the hammer, he stepped forward and picked up the top part of the steel steps, lifting the big, heavy object into his arms before turning to look at Thor, who had managed to push himself up onto his hands and knees.

There was a beat, everyone held their breath, and then Thanos brought the steps down onto Thor's back. Thor let out a loud shout along with the audience, and Loki felt his stomach drop at the sight. Thanos didn’t settle for just one time either. He lifted the steps back up, looking out into the crowd before he hit him again. And then again. Thor was on his stomach, unable to do anything as Thanos continued his relentless assault. The referee was shouting at Thanos to stop, but there was nothing he could do either. It wasn’t against the rules. _There were no rules_.

Loki had to look away, but there was nothing he could do to block out the audience' shouts or the sound of those steel steps hitting Thor’s back. It didn't seem like Thanos was holding back in the slightest, and Loki's nails were digging into the skin of his palms as he stared at his knees. He found himself wishing for the match to be over. Clearly, they were trying to make Thanos look as strong as possible, like a brutal beast, and he didn’t want that to happen at the expense of Thor’s well being. As far as he was concerned, it was better to let Thanos win now than to let him keep this up.

Finally, Thanos let go of the steps, and they made a heavy noise as they landed on the floor. He pulled Thor up, and pushed him back inside the ring, quickly following him. The boos grew louder as he forced Thor into the middle of the ring and put his foot on top of his chest, and Loki held his breath as the referee started to count.

“One! Two! Th-” But Thor kicked out, turning to his side, and Thanos looked just as surprised as the people around Loki seemed to be. He turned sharp eyes to Thor, narrowing them as he watched him. Thor had a hand on his back, his face contorted with pain, and Thanos gave him a long look before he left the ring again. There was a frustrated look on his face as he began to pull chairs out from underneath the canvas, throwing them into the ring. Thor was trying to get up, but he fell back down onto his stomach several times, and Loki shook his head.

“Please,” he whispered, his voice too quiet to be heard by anyone else. “Don’t get back up. Stay down.” But Thor wasn’t listening to him. By the time Thanos had made it back inside the ring, Thor was on his hands and knees once more. Loki twisted and turned his hands in his lap, his heart hammering inside his chest as Thanos picked up one of the folded up chairs.

Thor ducked out of the way before Thanos could hit him with it, and managed to turn around, throwing his legs up and pushing Thanos away, giving himself enough time to drag himself back up. His chest was heaving, his forehead covered in a sheen of sweat, but there was a determined look on his face. Thanos tried to go for him again, but Thor rushed forward and drove him into the corner of the ring, where he climbed up on the ropes and hit him on the head several times. Once it seemed like Thanos was a bit dizzy, he pulled him away, stepping onto the top rope and not hesitating for more than one second before he jumped, landing on top of him.

Thor was the first to push himself up, but he didn’t even try to go for the cover. Instead he just sat there, breathing heavily, glancing over at Thanos before he shook his head. He turned his gaze to the audience, who immediately started cheering for him.

The match seemed somewhat more even after that. Thanos tried to get control of it again, but Thor managed to counter most of his moves, and Loki felt a deep sense of pride with each blow he dished out. At one point, he tried to get his arm around Thanos's neck, but was elbowed in the face and sent flying again, landing on the other side of the ring. 

Thor sat up, furrowing his brow as he wiped the back of his hand right underneath his nose. He was bleeding. Loki gasped, and clenched his hands into fists as a referee came over with a tissue to get rid of the blood. Thor pushed him away, though, and turned his eyes to Thanos. The predatory grin that appeared on his face almost matched one of Thanos’s own.

Thor ran forward before Thanos had time to react, spearing him and sending them both to the ground. He got up, roaring along with the crowd before making his way over to the ropes. After a swift jump, he landed on top of Thanos, slinging an arm around his chest. The referee dropped down, and slammed his fist against the canvas. One, two - but Thanos kicked out.

Loki put his face in his hands, cursing loudly while the rest of the audience groaned. Thor looked about as frustrated as he felt, punching the mat with his closed fist before he got back up again. He grabbed onto Thanos’s arm, pulling him up, but Thanos fought back, and a lot of punches were thrown before Thor managed to get him into a corner, driving his whole body into his chest several times in order to keep down. 

As soon as Thanos collapsed against the ropes, Thor rushed out of the ring and picked up the hammer. He slid back inside, moving to the opposite corner before shouting and motioning for Thanos to get back up again. A big part of the audience was getting to their feet, but Loki remained seated, wringing his hands together. Thanos finally stood up, and Thor sprinted forward, hitting his hammer against his chest as soon as he was close enough. Thanos doubled over, and Thor threw the hammer aside before he put his hands on him. The roar coming from the audience as he moved Thanos’s head between his legs was almost deafening, and the ones who had not already been on their feet were now getting up.

Thor wrapped his arms around Thanos’s stomach, and there was another loud roar as he managed to lift him onto his shoulders. Loki’s mouth fell open, and he quickly got to his feet as well, his clenched fists shaking as Thor slammed Thanos onto his back.

Time almost seemed to stand still as Thor dove for the cover, half lying down on top of Thanos as he lifted one of his legs. The referee got down on his knees, and started the count, everyone in the audience joining him.

"One, two, three!"

It was almost like an explosion had gone off. The whole audience screamed, lifting their arms into the air, and by now everyone was on their feet.

Thor pushed himself away from Thanos, his eyes wide as he tried to get to his feet. He stumbled once, and remained sitting down, pushing his hair back with both of his hands as he looked around at the fans. Loki shivered as his music blared into life, and Thor finally managed to get onto his feet just as the referee came over with the championship.

“Here is your winner, and the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion… Thor!”

Thor took the belt, staring down at it while Thanos rolled out of the ring.

Loki’s eyes were almost just as wide as Thor's, and he shook his head, only managing to tear his eyes away long enough to take a look around the stadium. There were shocked looks on the faces of the people around him. But more importantly, they looked happy. People were clapping their hands together, some were jumping up and down, and some were even hugging the people next to them.

Thor rushed over to the corner of the ring and climbed onto the top rope, the audience getting even louder as he raised the championship over his head. The people with Thor signs held them up for him to see, and several people pulled out their phones and cameras to snap pictures of him. Thor let out a loud shout, yelling something as he pointed at the championship, though the crowd was far too loud for anyone to be able to hear him. He headed back inside the middle of the ring, still holding the championship up as they sent out fireworks, which lit up the dark sky right above the stadium.

The smile on Thor's face was contagious, and Loki found himself smiling as well. The people around him were cheering, chanting, and clapping their hands together. Loki was just standing there, watching Thor with tears welling up in his eyes. He had never in his life felt as proud as he did in that moment. Thor was standing there, the new champion. He was on top of the world, on top of the company, and he deserved every second of it.

Thor climbed back onto the top rope, and looked to have tears in his eyes as well as he scanned the crowd. He was looking in his direction, and Loki clapped his hands together, hoping Thor knew just how happy he was for him.

It seemed like Thor’s music was never going to stop playing, like this moment of celebration was never going to stop. And to be fair, Loki didn’t really want it to. To see so many people cheering for Thor, to see so many of them looking so happy that he had won, was an incredible thing to experience.

Thor was down on his knees in the middle of the ring, by now quite obviously crying. He ran a hand over his face, raising his championship into the air again as the fans pointed their cameras at him.

Loki didn’t know how many minutes had passed before he left the ring. The loud cheers continued as he made his way up the ramp, and he stopped in the middle of the big stage, holding his championship over his head before bowing to his fans. They chanted his name, and Thor gave them one final smile before he left. 

Loki let out a shaky breath, ignoring the sounds coming from his phone as he tried to get out of there as quickly as possible. The following couple of minutes seemed almost surreal, and he only half listened to the people around him still talking excitedly about the match and chanting Thor's name before he finally managed to make his way to the backstage area. People seemed happy there as well, and he spotted plenty of tired looking wrestlers with smiles on their faces as he hurried through the hallways. 

When he finally reached the right locker room, he found Thor sitting on a bench, head tilted down as he watched the championship still resting in his arms. Loki’s heart sped up, and he swallowed before he took a step closer. He didn’t even have to say anything. Thor looked up, a big smile spreading on his lips. Loki hurried forward, and Thor wrapped him in his arms and lifted him up before spinning him around, a happy laugh spilling from his lips. When he put him down, he moved one of his hands to his back, groaning softly as he shook his head.

“Those damn steps," he muttered, and took a deep breath before he looked at Loki.

“I’m the champion,” he said, sounding like it was only just now sinking in. “I’m the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Can you believe it?”

“Yes,” Loki said at once, and nodded. “I can.” He pulled Thor in for a kiss, and he could hear the championship landing on the floor before Thor wrapped his arms around him.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he whispered against Thor's lips. 

"What?"

"You just won that championship. Should it really be on the floor?" 

"Good point." Thor quickly pulled away from him and bent down, picking up his championship and blowing on it to get rid of any eventual dirt. "I haven't even had time to check my phone yet." He carefully placed the belt on the bench before moving over to one of the open lockers. "I knew it. Sif's texted me. And..." He trailed off, and Loki frowned lightly as he looked at him. 

Thor didnt say anything for a long moment. Loki took a step back, turning his eyes to the championship. He threw a quick look over his shoulder before he picked it up, running his thumbs against the gold. 

“I got a text from my mom,” Thor said quietly, and Loki hastily put the championship back down again before turning his eyes to him.  

“She saw the whole thing. She said… She said she's proud of me.” Thor gave him a quick smile before he put the phone away. When he turned back, Loki could see tears in his eyes, and Thor cursed under his breath before he ran a hand down his face.

“She should be,” Loki said, and moved closer, wrapping his arms around Thor, who buried his face in the crook of his neck.

“Did you like my entrance?” Thor asked, his hot breath tickling his skin, and Loki nodded his head.

“You looked like a superhero.”

“That was the point.” Thor pulled back again, giving him a teary smile before pressing a kiss to his lips. “I’m going to be crying in my interviews.” He shook his head, and threw a glance at his championship. “I still can’t believe it.”

“How long have you known?” Loki asked.

“Not as long as you’d think,” Thor told him. “Only about two weeks. I wasn’t sure they’d want to take the belt away from him, but… They took a chance. Let’s just hope he doesn’t take it back when and if we have our rematch.”

“I dont even want to think about that,” Loki said, and pulled Thor closer again, resting his head on his shoulder. The match he had just watched had been exhausting enough on its own. He didn’t want to think about the possibility of having to go through a second one.

Thor eventually took a step back, and gave him one more kiss before he picked up his championship, throwing it over his shoulder like it belonged there.

“You should go home,” he said. “I still have a couple of things I need to do. You know, interviews, and we’ll probably talk about what’s happening tomorrow on Raw… You don’t have to stick around for that. Go home and relax. And wait for me.”

Loki nodded his head. “I could do that,” he agreed, and watched as Thor stepped past him.

“See you at home,” Thor said, and was just on his way out the door when swallowed.

“Thor.”

Thor turned around, his eyebrows raised as he watched him. “Yeah?”

Loki parted his lips, hesitated, and then said it.

“I love you.”

The three seconds it took for Thor to react were enough to make Loki wonder if perhaps he had just made a huge mistake, but the grin that spread across Thor’s face was more than enough for him to push those thoughts away.

Thor turned back to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him in for another kiss.

“I love you too,” he said, and gave him one more kiss before he backed away again, holding his championship up before he disappeared out the door, leaving Loki standing there with a stupid, goofy smile on his lips.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again. I was gonna post this chapter a couple of days ago, but then I got sick. Maybe it's a good thing we got a bit of a break, though, since it seemed like some of you thought the Wrestlemania chapter was intense. Luckily, this chapter should be a lot slower and... calmer. 
> 
> Oh, and we only have two more chapters + an epilogue left to go after this. And I've already gotten started on the next chapter. Not one hundred percent sure what's going to happen in it. We'll see, I guess. For now, I hope you'll enjoy this one!

Loki was already in bed, naked with only a thin blanket draped over his lower body, when he heard the front door open and close. Handcuffs and lube had been placed on the bedside table, and he waited excitedly for Thor to enter the bedroom. When he did, Loki smiled at the sight of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship resting over his shoulder.

“Took you long enough,” he said, and was about to push himself up when the smell of food drew his gaze to the brown paper bag Thor held in his right hand. He cocked his head to the side, and raised an eyebrow at Thor, who gave him a guilty look.

“I know you had other things planned,” he said, glancing over at the handcuffs. “And any other night I would happily let you cuff me to the bed, but after that match and the beating I took…” He placed the bag on the bed, letting the championship rest next to it, before reaching up to remove his shirt.

A protest was resting on the tip of Loki’s tongue, but disappeared the moment Thor threw his shirt aside and his eyes fell to the bandages wrapped around the middle of his torso. Loki felt his heart sink at the sight of them, his sexual desire leaving him at once. Thor glanced down when he noticed him staring, and gave him a tightlipped smile.

“Don’t worry,” he said, and pulled his jeans off. “They just wanted to stop the bleeding.”

Loki raised his eyebrows. “Bleeding?” he repeated.

Oh, sure. That didn’t sound like something to worry about. Why should he worry?

“I don’t know if you know this, but those steel steps are not as comfortable as they look,” Thor said, and sat down on the bed with a groan, stretching his arms before he turned to look at him. “I’m going to be sore tomorrow.”

Loki gave him a concerned look as Thor plopped down next to him and reached for the bag, pulling out burgers and fries for both of them. He couldn’t even find it in himself to tell Thor he didn’t usually have greasy food in bed. He accepted the burger and the fries, still keeping his eyes on Thor who seemed too focused on the food to notice. He took a big bite of his burger, another groan leaving his lips as he leaned his head back against the bedframe.

“You look exhausted,” Loki pointed out, and Thor nodded.

“I am. Exhausted and happy.” He gave him a smile before looking over at the championship. “This is the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me. Professionally. You can’t get any higher than this.”

Loki tried his burger, licking some ketchup off his bottom lip before turning his eyes back to Thor.

“I didn’t realize you were bleeding.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Thor told him. “And it’s not like anyone could tell since I’m not shirtless. It hurt like hell though. I don’t know if Thanos was pulling his punches as much as he should have.”

“You’re saying he was actually trying to hurt you?”

“I don’t know.” Thor shrugged. “Maybe a little bit. He’s never been a very careful guy. There’s a reason more than one wrestler's gotten hurt after being in the ring with him.” He picked up a handful of fries and shoved them into his mouth before he took another bite of his burger. “I can imagine he was a little upset tonight, losing the championship and all.”

“And they just let him get away with it?” Loki questioned.

Thor responded with another shrug.

“What can they do? It’s not like he was trying to kill me in there. Sometimes it’s hard for them to know when the pain’s real or not seeing as we’re all a bunch of actors.” He turned his head, and gave Loki a smile. “The ref asked me if I was okay, and I told him I was. Thanos was rough, but he wasn’t crossing any lines. Not to me, anyway. I can handle it. If he’d gone after one of the smaller guys, and treated him the way he treated me, I would have questioned it. But my back will survive. And so will the rest of me.”

“What about your rematch? What happens if he wants the title back?”

“Then it’s up to them to decide whether he should have it or not. He can protest all he wants, but it’s ultimately their call. They might not want to anger him though. He’s an important part of the company, part-timer or not. I think that’s why they were reluctant to take the title away from him in the first place.” He turned his eyes back to the championship resting on Loki’s bed. “But now they have, and I hope they trust me enough to let me keep it even if Thanos does get his rematch.”

Loki nodded his head and the two of them remained silent for a moment. Thor finished his burger first, and Loki was just pushing the last piece of his into his mouth when he noticed Thor yawning.

“We should go to sleep,” he said. “You need to rest before Raw.”

And so they did go to sleep, with Thor on his side and Loki pressed up against his chest.

When Loki woke up, he opened his eyes to find Thor watching him.

“Morning, beautiful,” he said, and Loki groaned softly before reaching for one of the pillows and pressing it against his own face. Thor chuckled as he pulled it away from him, and smiled while brushing his fingers against his cheek.

“How are you feeling?” Loki asked him quietly, and Thor made a face.

“Sore. All over, just like I predicted. I’m just trying not to move, because when I do I remember being thrown against the barricade, or crashing through the announce table. Not to mention those damn steps.” He sighed. “Maybe I’ll get them to give me a massage before I go out there tonight.”

“Do you have a match?” Loki asked him, and Thor shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know yet,” he said. “I know I’m coming out there to… you know, thank the fans and talk about winning the title. But I don’t know if I have a match. We’ll see when I get there.”

“Even if you do, it can’t be worse than the one you had yesterday,” Loki pointed out, and ran his fingers through Thor’s hair.

“Unless they make me fight Thanos again,” Thor chuckled. “But I doubt it. That’s the kind of rematch they’ll want to save for another PPV.”

Loki turned his eyes away, pushing himself up and playing with the corner of the blanket for a long moment before he spoke up.

“I was begging for the match to be over last night,” he said. “After he hit you with those steps… I was begging you not to get back up again.”

Thor reached out and cupped his chin, pulling him closer so that he could press a soft kiss to his lips.

“I’m okay. Yes, the steps hurt, but it could have been a lot worse.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Loki raised a brow, and Thor gave him another kiss.

“As soon as I remove these bandages, you’re not even going to think about it anymore. You’ll be thinking about my championship, as you should be.” He pulled away from him and reached for the belt, holding it out for Loki to take.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” he asked, and Loki nodded his head, brushing his thumbs against the side plates. They had already been changed to reflect that Thor was now the owner of the belt, decorated with a hammer and Thor's name on a red background. 

“But not as beautiful as you, of course,” Thor added, and Loki snorted before smacking Thor’s chest with the championship. Thor yelped before falling to his back, making a dramatic gesture as he put a hand over his heart.

“Betrayed by my own boyfriend,” he muttered, and Loki shook his head at him.

He left the bed a little while later, forcing Thor to stay because he wanted him to rest while he made them both some breakfast. Thor protested at first, but settled down once Loki threatened to handcuff him to the bed.

He made pancakes the old fashioned way, and while he realized Thor probably needed a more wrestler friendly breakfast, he figured he could allow himself a cheat meal. Well, a second cheat meal. It was the day after Wrestlemania, after all. Thor didn’t seem to mind as he returned to the bedroom, carefully setting the tray down next to him.

“I must be the luckiest wrestler in the world,” Thor said, and gave him a kiss before he reached for his plate.

The championship lay on the bed in between their feet, and the two of them watched it while they ate.

“You’re coming tonight, right?” Thor asked, dipping a piece of pancake into the syrup. “I mean, you have to. It’s the Raw after Wrestlemania.”

“I thought Raw before Wrestlemania was a big deal,” Loki said, letting his plate rest in his lap as he reached for his glass of orange juice. “And now you’re telling me this one is too?”

“This one’s bigger,” Thor said, and smiled when Loki rolled his eyes. “ _It is_. I told you, Wrestlemania is like the season finale. Now, it’s the start of the new season. Time to set up those storylines. And… some people might be coming up from NXT.”

“Anyone I care about?”

Thor tapped his fork against the plate, pressing his lips together before shaking his head. “I can’t tell you.”

“You’re the one who brought it up!”

“I still can’t tell you!”

Loki was tempted to throw his plate in Thor’s face. The only thing stopping him were the bandages still wrapped around him.

“Is it that Peter kid?”

“I really can’t tell you,” Thor said, raising his eyebrows and giving him an innocent look.

After considering it for a couple of seconds, Loki put his plate down and licked his lips, crawling over to Thor’s side of the bed.

“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do to convince you?” He put his hands on Thor’s thighs, his lips curling into a smirk as he played with the hem of Thor’s boxers. Thor groaned, and turned his eyes away from him, stubbornly watching the ceiling.

“No,” he said, his voice quieter this time, and Loki’s smirk widened as he pulled on the fabric.

In the end, Thor still refused to tell him what would happen on Raw, even after the amazing blowjob Loki gave him. He still thought it was worth it, though, if only for the happy, relaxed look on Thor’s face. Thor pulled him in for a kiss, their breakfast forgotten as he decided to return the favor. Loki had one of his arms wrapped around Thor’s neck as Thor stroked him to an intense orgasm, leaving him shuddering through it as Thor leaned their foreheads together.

“Yes,” Loki mumbled, combing his fingers through Thor’s hair.

“Yes what?”

“I’ll come with you.”

They didn’t have to leave quite as early this time, though. They got to relax for a few more hours, which gave Loki enough time to talk to Amora, before Thor decided it was time to go. Raw was taking place in Brooklyn, and the two of them got their stuff before making their way to Loki’s car. Thor had his championship with him, and Loki felt his heart flutter inside his chest each time he looked at him.

“Are these the same fans as yesterday?” Loki asked as he got behind the wheel, waiting for Thor to close the door before he started the car.

“They tend to be, yeah. So it should be a good crowd.”

Loki nodded his head. Even though he had been caught off guard by the amount of people around him, he had appreciated the Wrestlemania crowd. They’d been energetic throughout most of the show, always chanting for the wrestlers and booing the ones they didn’t like. Most importantly, they seemed to have really appreciated the thought of Thor as their new WWE Champion, and that was more than enough for Loki to be excited for tonight. Hopefully, they would continue to show him the same amount of respect.

There was a lot of traffic, and it took them a little longer to get to Brooklyn than they had first thought. Thor was on the phone with someone, telling whomever he was talking to that they would be there soon.

As soon as they did get there, they left the car and turned their eyes to the fans who had already gathered outside. There weren’t quite as many as the previous night, and Thor threw a look at his watch before deciding that he had time to greet them. He told Loki to go ahead and wait for him inside, and Loki nodded his head before taking Thor’s suitcase and watching as Thor headed over to the fans with a smile. They cheered loudly for him as he came closer, and he bowed deeply before he posed for their pictures.

Loki walked over to the right door, stating his name to the security guard outside. He checked his list, and nodded his head as he found him on it. Loki stepped past him and headed inside, where he waited for Thor to show up. He saw a couple of wrestlers walk by him, but none of them said a word to him. In fact, no one acknowledged his presence until Sharon walked by. She paused, and moved closer to him, giving him a curious look.

“Hey. Loki, right? Does Thor know you’re here?”

“He’s outside,” Loki said, pointing at the door. “He’s busy greeting his fans.”

“Ah, of course.” She gave him a knowing smile. “They do that. When he comes inside, would you mind telling him Fury’s looking for him?”

“Sure,” Loki said, and nodded his head, watching as she disappeared, frowning lightly. Fury. He kept hearing about this Fury guy, but he still hadn’t seen him around. He was clearly a very important person, though, and Loki wondered why he wanted to talk to Thor. Did he want to congratulate him? Or talk about where his career was heading next? Whatever it was, Loki hoped it wouldn’t involve Thanos. He really just wanted him to stay as far away from Thor as possible from now on.

Thor finally joined him about five minutes later, taking his suitcase from Loki. He was just about to lead him away from there when Loki told him Fury apparently wanted to see him, and Thor blinked before nodding his head.

“I figured. Then let’s find you something to do.”

Loki felt a little like a child as he followed Thor, and he was tempted to tell him he didn’t need him to find friends for him to play with. He could explore this place on his own. Then again, he supposed it would be easier for Thor to find him later if he actually knew where he was.

Thor ended up leading him over to a private room where Sam and Bucky were sitting on a couch in front of a small television. As they came closer, Loki realized they were playing a video game, and it looked to be quite intense because neither of them turned around to look at them.

“Hey, guys. Loki can watch you play for a while, right?”

“Sure,” Sam said, still with his back to them. “Take a seat, Loki. You can watch me kick his ass.”

“In your dreams,” Bucky retorted.

“You can just leave the room if they start fighting,” Thor chuckled, and gave Loki a quick kiss before he left him. Loki turned his eyes to the other two, shaking his head before he walked closer and sat down on the couch next to theirs. He looked over at the TV, and frowned when he noticed they were playing a wrestling game.

“Don’t you get enough wrestling as it is?” he asked, and the two of them shook their heads in unison. They weren’t playing as themselves, at least. In fact, Loki failed to recognize the characters, and he pulled his phone out of his pocket, only half listening as the other two teased each other.

“Stop cheating,” Bucky said, and pushed his body against Sam, forcing him closer to the end of the couch.

“Me? You’re the one spamming the same move.” Sam put a hand against Bucky’s shoulder and tried to push him away. Loki raised a brow.

“Do I need to break this up?” he asked, and the other two glanced over at him.

“And how would you do that exactly?” Sam wanted to know. Loki assumed he was trying to make him realize he probably wouldn’t stand a chance if the other two teamed up and decided they wanted to fight him. He wasn’t above using dirty tricks to win, though.

“I could always turn the TV off,” he pointed out. “Maybe steal that game and hide it somewhere.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Sam said, turning his head and giving him an outraged look, but let out a frustrated sound as soon as he turned back to the screen. “Damnit, Bucky. You can’t cover me while I’m talking to someone else.”

“It’s not against the rules,” Bucky insisted.

The door opened behind them, and Sam tilted his head to the side. “Hey, Thor,” he said loudly. “Tell your boyfriend not to mess this up for me.”

“I’ll do that,” came Steve’s voice from behind them, and Loki turned his head to look at him. Steve met his eyes, and came over to put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t disturb my friends… dear.”

“I’ll try not to, darling,” Loki responded with an overly bright smile, one that quickly disappeared from his lips as soon as Steve had pulled away from him.

“So, where is the new champ?” he asked as he sat down next to him, and Loki shrugged his shoulders.

“He went to talk to Fury.”

“Yeah, I saw him earlier,” Steve said, and gave him a nod before turning his eyes to the screen. “You always do that move, Buck. Try something else for once.”

“That’s what I said!” Sam said loudly, and gave Bucky a nudge with his elbow.

“I will if you stop cheating,” Bucky muttered, pressing the same button repeatedly. The match ended a couple of minutes later, Sam coming out as the winner, and he stood up, doing a little dance in front of Bucky, who tossed his controller aside and sighed loudly.

“Don’t give me that," Sam said. "This is the only time I get to win.”

“You’re not the only one who lost last night.”

“I was surprised,” Loki interrupted them, and they both turned to look at him. “I thought you would win.” He gestured at Sam, who raised his eyebrows.

“I was supposed to. At one point. They changed it a couple of days ago.” He sat back down again, and reached for the controller Bucky had tossed aside. “You wanna go?” He held it out for Steve, who reached out and took it.

“Can I try?” Loki asked, and once again everyone in the room turned to look at him. They seemed surprised, and he supposed he couldn’t blame them. He hadn’t played video games in years, and he probably didn’t come across as someone who’d find them amusing, but he wanted to see if he could best Captain America. He would never be able to do it in a real ring, but maybe he could do it in an imaginary one?

Sam handed him his controller, and Steve brought them back to the menu screen. They decided on a simple one on one match, and Loki pressed his lips together as he scrolled through the different characters. Once he reached Thor, he realized he couldn’t possibly play as anyone else, and he ignored the other three chuckling at him as he pressed the button to lock in his decision. Though Steve proceeded to pick himself a couple of seconds later, and Loki teased him about that while they were waiting for the match to load.

“Is anyone going to tell me how to play this?” he asked as they watched Steve's entrance, and the other three immediately started yelling out instructions, letting him know what the buttons did, and how to block and cover someone. By the time Thor showed up on stage, Loki simply shook his head and decided he would figure it out eventually.

He ended up experimenting his way through the first couple of minutes of the match, and he had a feeling Steve was going easy on him because surely he would have won by now if he hadn't.

It took him a little while, but finally he was beginning to get the hang of it, and with the help of Sam and Bucky telling him which buttons to use for certain moves he managed to send Captain America crashing through one of the announce tables.

The real Thor joined them while the fake Thor was busy hitting Captain America with a chair, and Loki only spared him the quickest of glances before he turned his attention back to the screen.

“You better make me win,” Thor said, and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “I can’t lose to Captain America.”

Steve sent him a playful glare, and Loki made sure to get the sledge hammer while he wasn't looking. Unfortunately, he ended up losing the match as soon as he hit Cap with it. The bell rang, and the announcer called out that Thor had been disqualified. Loki pursed his lips, handing the controller back to Sam before he glanced over at Steve.

“I'll get you next time.”

“I'm looking forward to it,” Steve said, before turning his eyes to Thor. “How's our new champ? That belt suits you.”

Loki turned his head around, watching the championship resting on top of Thor's shoulder.

“The champ is doing just fine,” Thor said, smiling widely as he looked down at the four of them. “He’s the first to beat Thanos clean in… how long’s it been? Years. And he’s got this…” He patted the belt. “And to top it all off, he’s got the most amazing boyfriend in the world by his side.”

Loki pushed himself up from the couch and walked around it, coming to stand next to Thor.

“Just wait,” Sam said. “I’ll be the one to take that away from you. I just need to get an actual storyline first.”

“Aren’t you fighting Crossbones?” Steve asked.

“Yeah, right,” Sam snorted. “No, they gave that to Rhodey. I got nothing.”

“Maybe they’ll let us fight again,” Bucky suggested.

Loki turned to look at Thor as Sam, Bucky and Steve continued to discuss their future. He raised an eyebrow, watching the title for a moment before he met Thor’s eyes.

“So? What did this Fury guy say?”

“He just wanted to congratulate me. And tell me I do have a match tonight.” Thor smiled. “I’m very excited about my opponent.”

“But you’re not going to tell me who it is, are you?”

“Nope.”

“How about this,” Loki said, and crossed his arms over his chest. “We play a match. If I win, you tell me who you’re fighting.”

“You're on,” Thor said, and the two of them shook hands before telling the other three to make room for them, stealing the controllers before they had a chance to protest.

Unlike Steve, Tho didn't go easy on him, and Loki found himself struggling just to stay in the match. It was only his second time playing, and Thor seemed to know how to do things he wasn’t even sure what to call. Thor ended up winning the match after seven intense minutes, and Loki muttered a bunch of curse words under his breath before throwing him a glare.

“Will you at least tell me if it’s Thanos?” he asked, and Thor tilted his head to the side, considering it for a moment before answering.

“It’s not Thanos.”

That was a relief, at least, though it still left him with plenty of options. Though the only one he was really scared about was the Hulk. Now that Thor had the championship, he didn’t want him or Stark anywhere near him. Thor had earned that title fair and square, and he deserved to keep it for a long time.

As usual, they ended up in the cafeteria about two hours before the show. They were supposed to be having dinner, but someone had put up a tray filled with delicious looking cupcakes. Loki had to admit, seeing about ten wrestlers stand in a ring around the tray and stare at those cupcakes with big, longing eyes was one of the most amusing things he had ever seen. They usually looked so tough and strong, but something about seeing those cupcakes made them all turn into little boys who had just been told by their mothers they were not allowed to have any dessert.

“Maybe just one,” Bucky sighed, eyeing a cupcake with pink frosting and a strawberry on top.

“It’s not your cheat day,” Steve pointed out, and Bucky hung his head, a disappointed sigh leaving his lips.

“We really should be looking away,” Thor pointed out. But neither of them did. Loki was just wondering if maybe he could have a cupcake when Stark strutted past them, walking closer just to see what they were all looking at.

“Are these for me?” he asked. “Call it a consolation prize for losing that match yesterday.” He reached for the pink cupcake Bucky had been watching, and everyone followed it with their eyes as Stark brought it to his mouth and took a big bite of it. The collective groans from everyone else made Loki roll his eyes, and Stark finished the cupcake in three big bites, licking his lips before he raised his eyebrows.

“No one else wants one?”

One after the other, they all left the table to get some actual food, and Stark turned his eyes to Thor.

“I suppose congratulations are in order. Hold on to that championship while you still can.”

“He won’t let you take it,” Loki muttered before Thor had a chance to speak up, and Stark turned his eyes to him.

“We’ll see about that. Sooner or later, that championship will belong to my client.”

He gave Thor a nod, taking one last look at the belt before he left the room.

“I may not be a wrestler, but if he tries to take your championship away from you, I will fight him,” Loki said, and Thor smiled at him before pulling the title away from his shoulder and handing it to him.

“Here. Guard it with your life.”

And Loki did just that, keeping the championship in his lap while they ate, while wrestlers came over to the table to congratulate Thor on winning it. After a while, Loki made sure to put the title back on Thor’s shoulder, to let everyone in the room see it. He wanted them to know Thor was the number one guy there.

When it was about one hour left before the show was about to start, Thor left the table to go and get changed, and Loki followed him over to the locker room, sitting down as he watched him undress. The championship looked if possible even better once Thor was in his wrestling gear. Loki had obviously seen him holding it last night, but it felt different now. They’d had a chance to take it all in, and now it was time to get down to business. Thor's first Raw as a champion was about to take place, and Loki found himself getting excited at the thought of it.

Once they left the locker room, Thor told him he should probably get out there and find his seat. He was going to be the one to open the show, after all, and he was sure Loki wouldn’t want to miss a single second of it.

That was something they could definitely agree on, and Loki gave him a kiss and wished him good luck, trying one last time to get Thor to tell him who he would be fighting, but Thor shook his head and sent him on his way.

When he left the backstage area and stepped out to join the rest of the fans, Loki looked around and noticed that even more people than usual seemed to be wearing Thor shirts. His chest swelled with pride, and he walked around with his head held high until he had found the right seat.

They were still playing the Wrestlemania theme songs, and Loki busied himself with his phone until Falcon’s music came on. The poor guy wasn’t even part of the actual Raw. He had a match before the show, which meant it wasn't even going to be live, and Loki actually felt bad for him as he climbed inside the ring. He looked just as pumped as usual, though, jumping around inside the ring until his opponent came out. It was a short match, no more than five minutes long, before Falcon was named the winner.

Loki clapped his hands together as he watched him leave the ring, and took a deep breath as soon as the actual show got started. Thor’s music came on almost immediately, and Loki stood up along with the rest of the audience, unable to help the smile on his lips as Thor came out with the championship wrapped around his waist. The crowd was loud as he made his way down the ramp, and they only got louder as he pulled the belt away from his body and held it up as he posed on the top rope, a wide smile on his face.

He jumped back down, grabbed the microphone that had been provided for him, and let the championship rest on his shoulder. He raised the mic to his lips, but the audience was still cheering loudly for him, and Thor lowered it again, chuckling as he waited for them to calm down. They didn’t, though. Instead, loud chants echoed throughout the arena, and Loki felt a well of emotions wash over him when he heard what they were saying.

“You deserve it!” were the words repeated over and over again, and even Thor looked like he was getting emotional. He was nodding his head, running his fingers through his hair and waiting a long moment before he raised the microphone again.

“Thank you,” he began, and the audience slowly quieted down. “Thank you.” He paused, and took a deep breath. “Well, I did it. I said I would defeat Thanos, and I did. You’re looking at your new WWE World Heavyweight Champion!” The crowd roared into life again as Thor raised his championship into the air, and Thor let them cheer for a couple of seconds before he spoke up again. “And I have come out here to thank you. I wouldn’t be standing out here if it wasn’t for you guys. You’ve supported me ever since I first stepped foot in this company. From NXT, all the way to my debut on the main roster. You guys have been there for me, every step of the way, and that support means the world to me. Trust that I will do everything I can to earn that support.”

The crowd cheered again, and Thor smiled before he continued.

“Thanos was never here. Thanos never cared about any of you. You’ve had to deal with a passive champion for a long time now.  That won’t be the case anymore. I will be here, each and every week, and I will prove to you what a real champion looks like. I will not be sitting on the sidelines. I will not be hiding backstage like a coward. I will be a fighting champion. And I will prove that to you, starting today.”

Thor turned around, facing the stage.

“I dare anyone in the locker room to come out here. I will put my title on the line, tonight, for anyone who feels like he has earned that shot. If you think you have what it takes to defeat me, by all means… Come out here.” Thor dropped the microphone, taking a step closer to the ropes as everyone in the audience turned to look at the stage. They all waited, and Loki held his breath, hoping that the music coming on wouldn’t be…

It wasn’t. Cap’s music came on, and Loki blinked, staring with his mouth wide open as Cap came out on stage, holding on to his own championship. There were surprised cheers coming from the audience, and Loki turned his eyes back to Thor, who took a couple of steps back as he waited for Cap to come overe.

Once he had entered the ring, the two of them moved closer to each other, both standing tall and proud while holding onto their championships. Thor seemed to be telling him something, gesturing at his own championship belt, though he didn’t seem angry or upset about Cap taking the chance. He was smiling at him, and the two of them were just about to back away into their respective corners when they were interrupted by a voice.

“Excuse me! Gentlemen!” Maria came out on stage, holding a microphone in one hand and her clipboard in another. “Listen, Thor, I think it’s great you want to be a fighting champion, and I think it’s great that the two of you are looking to prove yourselves. But I don’t think this is the kind of match you should be having right now.” There were some boos coming from the audience, and Thor and Cap gave each other a look before turning confused eyes to her.

“I think this is a main event. Your match will have to wait to the end of the night, when Captain America will face Thor for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.”

The audience seemed happy about that, and so did Thor and Cap. They shook hands, and Thor’s music played as he climbed out of the ring and left Cap in there, making his way up the ramp.

Loki wasn’t sure how to feel about this turn of events. He was glad Thor wasn’t fighting Hulk, but Cap was a really good wrestler. He almost never saw him lose a match, but this was one he would have to lose because Thor could not give him that title.

Cap ended up staying inside the ring, letting everyone know he still had some business left to deal with after Wrestlemania. There was only one kind of thing that could mean, and the audience sounded excited as he asked Bucky to come out there. They all waited, turning their eyes to the top of the stairs, when Bucky’s music came on. He wasn’t wearing his mask nor his goggles, but was still dressed in his usual getup. He slowly made his way down the stairs, not looking nearly as confident as he usually did as he climbed inside the ring.

The music slowly faded away, and there were loud shouts from the audience as Cap addressed him, asking Bucky to please putting all of their problems aside, leave it all in the past, and move forward.

“I’ve missed you,” he said, and took a small step closer to him. “I don’t want to fight anymore. Please.”

Bucky gave him a long look, only glancing away when the audience once more chanted “Hug it out!” Cap looked out at the crowd as well, before dropping the microphone and grabbing Bucky’s arm, pulling him in for a tight embrace. The audience cheered as Bucky wrapped his arms around him, and Loki glanced around the arena, realizing that some girl a couple of seats away from him seemed to be crying.

The hug lasted a surprisingly long amount of time, probably about half a minute, before Bucky pulled away again. He shook his head, and backed away, mouthing something to Cap before ducking under the ropes and jumping out of the ring. Their were confused sounds coming from the audience, and no one really seemed to know what was going on as Bucky turned his back on Cap and made his way up the ramp.

Cap left the ring as they played one of the Wrestlemania songs, and Loki toyed with his phone as he wondered whether Thor would actually answer him if he sent him a text asking what the hell was going on between Cap and Bucky.

Next, it was time for the tag teams. And Loki let out a sigh as the current champions came out into the ring. They proceeded to make some kind of speech about how they were dominating the division right now, and that no one would be able to take their championships away from them, when they were interrupted by music. The people around Loki shot out of their seats so fast he actually flinched, and he watched in confusion as they cheered louder than they had all night.

Loki vaguely recognized the song, and he assumed this was one of those debuts from NXT Thor had mentioned. He stood up, and turned his eyes to the stage, where two odd looking people came out. He had definitely seen those two when they’d been watching Takeover, though he couldn’t remember their names. One of them was much taller than the other, and the smaller guy did a stupid little dance before he raised his microphone.

“My name is Rocket, and I am a certified G, and a bonafide stud. And you can’t teach that!” The crowd were saying the words along with him, clearly familiar with their entrance, and Loki furrowed his brow as he looked around.

“And this right here,” Rocket pointed up at his partner, “This is Groot, and he’s seven foot tall. And you can’t teach that!” The audience were still saying the words along with him, and Loki was left confused because he didn’t get it. Those two looked like complete fools. Especially Rocket. What was so special about them that the entire arena would be cheering louder than he had ever heard them cheer before?

The two of them made their way into the ring, chasing off the other tag team with a couple of moves, and Loki was still confused. They made some more jokes, Rocket did another dance, and Loki was seriously beginning to question his sanity because he felt like he was the only one in the arena who did not find it amusing. Not in the slightest. Then again, they were in Brooklyn. He figured they would go for that crude, silly kind of humor.

He was just glad when they were gone, and they continued on with the rest of the show. There were a couple of matches, nothing really exciting happening. Not until Mystique came out, holding the new Women’s Championship over her head. She also did a little speech, talking about her match with Storm and that there was no one left to beat her. Storm had been unable to do it, and Sif was injured.

“Who else stands a chance against me?” she asked. “There is no one strong enough to take this from me. I am your WWE Women’s Champion, and I will stay that way until-”

She was interrupted as well, this time by a song Loki had never heard before. The people around him seemed to know it very well, though, and they all stood up once again. Even though he had no idea who was coming out, Loki could admit that he liked the music. It sounded mysterious, and unusual for a WWE theme song. He wasn’t sure how many wrestlers used violins for their themes. The name on the jumbotron was Deathstrike, and the audience cheered loudly as she showed up on stage, dressed in black pants, red top, and a sleeveless gold coat.

Mystique lowered her championship, holding it against her chest as she moved closer to the ropes. Deathstrike slowly made her way over to the ring, climbing inside it and stepping closer to Mystique. The two of them stood face to face, and Mystique raised her title once more, pointing at herself before trying to slap Deathstrike, who easily ducked out of the way and grabbed her arm, dragging her down to the canvas. Mystique only just managed to free herself, and she rolled out of the ring before taking a couple of steps away from there.

“You’re not getting this!” she shouted loudly. “This is mine!”

Deathstrike only needed to stand there, a small smirk on her face, and the audience cheered loudly for her as she bowed before leaving the ring.

There was another match after that, but Loki could only focus on Thor, and the main event. He was looking forward to it, mostly because he felt like they couldn’t possibly let Cap win. Clearly they wanted this Raw to have a lot of surprises in store for the audience, but that was one surprise he didn’t think they could have. Or so he hoped.

Finally, it was time for their match. Cap was the first to come out, and Loki didn’t join the applause taking place. Since Cap was in a match against Thor, he was now the enemy, and Loki was not going to cheer for him. Not even once.

Thor came out as soon as Cap's music had stopped, and the audience seemed just as happy to see him this time. He had his eyes on Cap as he posed, and there seemed to be some friendly rivalry going on between them as they both handed their championships over to the referee. He held Thor’s up, while the announcer let them know it was a championship match. Thor bounced on his feet, while Cap stretched his arms, the two of them smiling as they looked at each other. The bell rang, and the two of them immediately rushed forward, locking their arms together.

After Thor’s match against Thanos, it was nice to see him be just as strong as someone, or possibly stronger. Thor and Cap were a lot more even than Thanos and Thor had been, and the two of them went back and forth constantly. Thor went for a quick cover, but Cap kicked out at one, and Thor shook his head, still grinning before pushing himself back up.

Cap eventually got the better of him, and Loki’s heart was racing as he sent Thor flying across the ring. He went for the cover, and Loki felt like he couldn't breathe as Thor kicked out at the very last second. He swallowed, and took a deep breath, ignoring his trembling hands as the match continued.

The two of them were certainly doing everything they could to tire each other out. They made it outside the ring and pushed each other against the barricades as well as the steel steps. Thor had his hand on his back at one point, kneeling down next to the ring while Cap was struggling to get back on his feet. He seemed to be able to shake it off, and got up again before they both rushed back inside the ring before the referee could count to ten.

The match seemed to go on forever, their moves becoming slower as it progressed. They had to take longer pauses, both of them flushed and sweaty as they locked their arms together again. Thor managed to get the upper hand, and he sent Cap flying towards the ropes, waiting for him to bounce back before he tackled him. Once Cap was on his back, Thor headed over to the corner, climbing up to the top rope. He jumped, landing on top of Cap, and the ref immediately got down on his knees.

“One, two-” Cap kicked out, and Thor ran a hand over his face, hitting his fist against the canvas several times before he got back up. The two of them proceeded to deal out several blows, too tired to make much of an impact. Cap tried to go for his finishing move, but Thor managed to pull himself out of it and immediately, pulled Cap closer, dragging his head between his knees.

Loki stood up along with the people around him, and watched as Thor lifted Cap up and slammed him back down again. He held his breath as the referee counted, a relieved sigh leaving him as soon as he had counted to three.

It was over.

Thor’s music came on, and Loki slumped back down in his seat, putting his face in his hands for a couple of seconds before he looked back down. Cap had already rolled out, while Thor was leaning against the corner of the ring, breathing heavily as he turned his eyes to the referee. He got his title back, and he clutched it against his chest, a relieved smile on his face as the audience cheered for him.

And then that sound. The sound that sent a chill down Loki’s spine, his stomach immediately filling with dread. His eyes widened as the Hulk’s music came on, and he got up on shaky legs, turning his eyes to the stage where Hulk and Stark came walking out. The cameras zoomed in on Thor, who closed his eyes before looking over at them, clenching his jaw.

Their was a big smirk on Stark’s lips, and he hurried after the Hulk, who rushed over to the ring and climbed into it.

“No,” Loki whispered, not listening to the people around him as the audience screamed loudly. The only thing he could focus on was Thor, and how he was struggling to get back up again, holding on to the ropes while making a face. Meanwhile, Stark held the Money in the Bank briefcase out to the referee, practically shoving it into his chest as he yelled at him.

“Take it! He’s cashing in! Ring the bell!”

Loki shook his head, his eyes still wide as the bell rang.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Hulk is cashing in his Money in the Bank contract, for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship!"

Thor, who had just gotten back up again, barely had time to take one step before Hulk had lifted him onto his shoulders. There was nothing he could do. The Hulk looked out into the crowd, grinned, and then slammed him down, _hard_.

"Cover him!" Stark shouted, pointing at Thor's lifeless body, just as Hulk bent down and draped himself over him. The referee hit the canvas.

One. Two. Three.

Loki’s heart sank inside his chest, his hands moving to cover his mouth as the Hulk pushed himself back up again. Stark ripped the championship away from the referee and handed it over to his client, raising his fist into the air. The two of them stood there, Stark with a big grin on his lips, in the middle of the ring as the audience tried to understand what had just happened. There was some shouting, even some cheering, but other than that it seemed like a lot of people were in shock.

Hulk looked down at Thor, and made sure to step on his stomach before leading Stark out of the ring. The two of them slowly made their way up the ramp as it was announced that Hulk was their new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, and Hulk raised his fists into the air again, shouting loudly as he held up his new championship.

“Thor, Thor, Thor,” Stark tsked just as Thor turned to his side and pushed himself up a bit to watch the two of them, a deep frown on his face. “I told you, didn't I? You didn’t want to work with us. We gave you the chance to be a part of our team. Now we’ve taken what’s rightfully ours. Hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.” Stark dropped the microphone, the audience booing as Hulk and he exited the stage.

Hulk’s music was still playing as everyone turned their eyes to Thor, who tried several times to get to his feet. Once he finally did, he stared at the empty stage, before looking down at his own hands, studying them almost as if he couldn’t believe he didn’t have his championship there anymore. With a glance back at the stage, he took a step forward, letting out a loud, angry roar that shook Loki to the very core.

Too tired to stand up, Thor sank to his knees in the middle of the ring, bending his head down while his hands were clenched into fists by his sides. The arena was once again eerily quiet as everyone watched him, no music playing as the show came to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually made Deathstrike's entrance, but I couldn't get the music right, so I decided not to post it. Maybe I'll try again. And for those of you who watch wrestling, I don't need to tell you what's up with Groot and Rocket. I did try to make them, but I couldn't decide what they would look like as humans. But if you wanna know which two guys inspired them, you can watch a video of their entrance [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REdhEwW9ssY) That's their first time on Raw as well. Maybe Groot and Rocket look a little bit like them... Sort of. I don't know. All I do know is that I don't think Loki would appreciate them.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally starting to hit me that this fic is coming to an end. The final chapter and the epilogue are almost done. I just need to figure out what things to put in which part, but the goal is to post them next week. We'll see if I can finish them in time. 
> 
> I've had quite a few people telling me they've thought about watching wrestling, or are interested in wrestling, because of my fic. I've been thinking about making some kind of post about it for quite some time, and then someone sent me an ask on tumblr about the very same thing. So I've made a post, talking about favorite wrestlers/themes/entrances/moments. You can find it [here.](http://guardianinthesky.tumblr.com/post/151211604381/your-fic-has-made-me-interested-in-wrestling-but-i) If you're thinking about watching wrestling, or if you think it seems cool and you want to check out some more stuff, or... even if you have no plans of watching it, and you just happen to enjoy some good storytelling and cool characters, check it out!

Loki could not remember the last time he had been this angry.

Actually, he wasn't just angry anymore. He was _furious_.

As soon as Thor had left the ring and exited the stage, Loki had abandoned his seat. He had pushed past the fans in order to get backstage, and was now stomping through the hallways, ignoring the people glancing his way as he wondered where Thor could be. Before he could head over to the locker rooms and look for him there, though, he spotted someone else walking in his direction, someone he couldn't possibly ignore.

It was Stark.

He was alone, carrying neither championship nor briefcase, too busy fiddling with his cufflinks to look up and notice him. Loki gritted his teeth at the sight of him, heart pounding in his chest as he quickened his steps.

“You!”

Stark looked up, and just barely had enough time to reach out and grab his wrist, stopping him before Loki could slap him across the face.

“Whoa, whoa. Careful." Stark eyed him from behind his sunglasses. "Remember, it's all in the script.”

“You're going to fucking pay for this,” Loki snapped at him, pulling his arm back with a growl. “Thor's going to get that title back.”

“And they call me a drama queen,” Stark muttered, and moved his hands down the front of his suit, brushing imaginary dirt off the red tie. “Speaking of the big guy. Someone should give him a hug, and I have a sneaking suspicion he'd rather have you do it. He's in the dressing room down the hall.” He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder, and Loki had to hold himself back from picking up the nearest object and smashing him over the head with it.

Instead, he let out a frustrated noise and stormed past him down the hallway, his hands clenched into fists by his side. Once he had reached the right locker room he took a deep breath before pulling the door open, his mind already working hard to think of something appropriate to say.

Thor was sitting on a bench again, leaning his body forward while resting his arms on his thighs, just like he had done twenty four hours ago. There was no title in his hands this time though. He was staring down at his empty lap, but turned his head up when Loki stepped closer. Sweat was covering his skin, his wet hair pushed back off his forehead, a reminder of what he had just been through. Normally, knowing Thor had just had a match would have been enough to make the blood in Loki's body rush south, but now he couldn't stop thinking about Thor inside that ring, looking lost and hurt.

“Hey,” Thor said, the corner of his mouth quirked up in a half-smile. “That was good, right? It felt good. I think the fans liked it.”

“Liked it?” Loki repeated, a confused look making its way onto his face as he stepped closer. “They were angry. _Shocked_.”

“Were you?” Thor asked, moving a bit to make room for him on the bench.

Loki nodded his head as he sat down, not sure where he was going with this.

“Of course I was. I can't believe they did this to you.”

“Yeah, I…" Thor turned his eyes back forward. "It's strange. A couple of minutes ago I was a champion. And now I'm not.”

“How long have you known?” Loki asked, reaching out to let his hand rest on top of Thor's arm.

“A couple of hours. They didn't tell me last night. I guess they wanted to give me a chance to celebrate without thinking about having to lose it. Or maybe it was decided today. I don't know.”

Loki furrowed his brow as he listened to him. This was not at all what he had thought would happen. After that roar in the middle of the ring, he had expected to find Thor angry, upset, possibly throwing things or raging at someone. He was almost too calm, and Loki wasn’t sure how to react. _He_ was angry. _He_ was upset about this. Why wasn’t Thor?

“What?” Thor asked him when he had been silent for a little too long.

“I… I don’t understand how you can be so calm," Loki confessed, pulling his hand back. "They took your championship away from you. You worked so hard for it.”

“I know,” Thor said, and reached out to grab his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “I know I did. I was damn proud of that match. I’m _still_ proud of that match.” He heaved a sigh. “I’ve worked really hard, and I deserved that championship. But do I understand why they did this? Yeah. I do. And Bruce is gonna be a great champion. This made the fans hate them even more than they already do, and if I could help with that… That’s fine by me.”

He shrugged, though Loki caught sight of a frown forming on his face before he tilted his head down. Slowly, he shifted closer to wrap his arms around Thor, not sure what else to do at this point. Thor immediately accepted the hug, leaning against him as he moved his own much bigger arms around his lower back.

“This might be good for me, you know?” Thor murmured against his shoulder. “I get to take a step back. Think about what I want to do next.”

“What about your rematch?”

“There’s not going to be a rematch,” Thor told him. “I’m leaving.”

Loki pulled away at that, leaning back as he blinked confused eyes at Thor. “What?” he asked, his voice sharp as he stared at him.

“We’ll talk about that later, I promise. Right now, I just need to shoot one more thing, and then we can go home, okay?”

“Shoot what?” Loki asked, and Thor patted his shoulder before standing up.

“Just a little behind the scenes thing. They’ll probably air it on Smackdown. You can stay here, right?”

Loki nodded his head, frowning as Thor pressed a kiss to the top of his head before disappearing out the door. Left alone, he fished his phone out of his pocket and noticed he had three texts from Amora, all of them letting him know how shocked she was. Since he figured Thor would be a little while, Loki pressed the button to call her, sighing heavily as soon as she picked up.

“Is he okay?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I came back here expecting to find him beating Stark to a bloody pulp. But he seems pretty calm. I don’t get it.”

“Well, he must have known it was gonna happen. He’s had some time to get used to it.”

“A couple of hours,” Loki muttered. Amora gasped.

“Really? They told him today? Wow. Well, it shocked me, let me tell you. I’m scrolling through Twitter right now. People are all over this. It’s the number one trend worldwide.”

There was a brief pause, and Loki took the time to glance around the room, his gaze being drawn to one of the mirrors on the wall. As he looked at the shirt he was wearing, he thought back to the number of people he had seen proudly sporting their Thor shirts. He wondered how many of them were on their way home now, feeling angry and betrayed.

“Do you know what he’s going to do now?” Amora asked, and Loki turned away from his reflection.

“He said something about leaving. I don’t know what that means.”

“Leaving? He’s not quitting, is he?”

“I don’t know," Loki said, trying not to think about how his stomach was in knots just from hearing that as a possibility. "He said we’ll talk about it when we get home.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.”

“What?”

“That he thinks of your place as his home.”

“I don’t think that’s what…” Loki paused, letting out a frustrated sigh as he rubbed his free hand against his forehead. “I almost slapped Stark. I saw him backstage. Unfortunately he managed to stop me.”

"I'm sure that would've been very satisfying for you." Amora laughed on the other end of the line.

When Thor came back, Loki had already ended the call several minutes ago after promising Amora he would keep her updated. Thor didn’t say anything about what he had just shot. He simply changed into his normal clothes and led Loki out of the arena. They didn’t run into any of his friends on the way, which Loki thought was a shame because he wanted to know if any of them had known what would happen. Had Steve known their match would lead to Thor losing the title?

The ride back to his apartment was a quiet one, neither of them saying anything as Loki drove them over the Brooklyn Bridge and through the streets of Manhattan. He did glance over at Thor several times, wondering if he was thinking about last night and how different things had been.

They reached his apartment still in silence, Loki unlocking the door before letting Thor inside. He watched as he stowed his bags in a corner and walked into the living room, pulling on the tie holding his hair up before he turned around to look at him.

“I think I’ll just go to bed,” Thor said, stifling a yawn. "It's been a long day."

Loki crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe.

“I thought you were supposed to tell me why you’re leaving. I still don’t know what that means,” he pointed out. Thor gave him a long look before nodding his head, letting himself fall back onto the couch.

“Right. Yeah, I… guess you could say I’m taking a break." His eyes met Loki's as he rubbed the palm of his hand against his knuckles. "The thing I shot just now, they’ll show that on Thursday. It's basically a clip of me being angry backstage and leaving. And I won’t be back next week. Or the week after that.” He shrugged. “Actually, I don’t know when I’ll be back. They wanted to give me some time off, and I figured I could use that time to decide… what I wanna do next.”

“So you’re not quitting?”

Thor raised his eyebrows, looking at him like he was crazy for even suggesting such a thing.

“No. I’m not quitting. Not at all.”

That was a relief, at least, though Loki still didn't understand what this was all about. He didn’t understand why they had taken the championship away from him so soon, he didn’t understand why Thor had simply accepted it, and he didn’t understand why he wanted to leave instead of going after Stark and Hulk right away.

“You okay?” Thor asked, pulling him out of his thoughts, and Loki nodded his head.

“I’m fine.”

Thor watched him for a moment, before standing up and walking over to press a kiss to his lips, slipping an arm around his waist to pull him closer.

“Then I’m going to bed. Like I said, I’ve had a long day. Steve tired me out.”

Loki watched him disappear into the other room, still leaning against the doorframe as he listened to Thor getting ready for bed. He was tempted to ask him again, ask him why he wasn’t more upset about this, but realized it was important for Thor to rest. It could wait.

He ended up staying awake for another two hours, texting back and forth with Amora before he finally joined Thor, stripping down to his boxers before crawling into bed. When he woke up the next morning, there was no Thor around to call him beautiful. The other side of the bed was empty, and Loki sat up, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he noticed the note on his nightstand. He reached for it, not surprised to find out Thor had gone to the gym.

Loki had breakfast on his own, mostly playing with his food without eating much as he waited for Thor to get back. When he did, he gave Loki a smile and a kiss before joining him at the table.

“It’s going to feel strange tonight,” he said. “But even stranger not to be on Raw next week. I’ll have to keep watching to find out if they can survive without me.”

Loki gritted his teeth. The fact that Thor was still making jokes was infuriating. He had just lost the one thing he had worked so hard for. Loki was no master at expressing his emotions, he usually tried to avoid it as much as possible, but even he thought this was ridiculous. Thor should have been angry, but he hadn't said a single bad word about the people responsible for putting him in this situation. 

“I don’t-”

But before Loki could tell him exactly what he thought about his jokes, he was interrupted by Thor’s stupid ringtone. The two of them turned their eyes away from each other as Thor reached for his phone, giving Loki an apologetic look before he accepted the call. It sounded like it was work related, and Loki let Thor talk to whomever was on the phone with him while he tidied up in the kitchen before heading into the bedroom to get dressed.

By the time he was finished, Thor had finally gotten off the phone, but instead of asking him if there was something he had wanted to say, Thor decided he needed to call his mom. Apparently she had tried to call him twice, and he wanted to make sure everything was alright.

Loki grabbed his laptop and made himself comfortable on the couch, checking his emails and reading an interesting job offer while listening to Thor telling his mom he was fine. Obviously she must have either seen or read about him losing the title, and the more Thor insisted it would be okay and that he really wasn't upset about it, the angrier Loki got.

When Thor finally hung up, after telling his mother he appreciated her concern, Loki quickly averted his eyes, stubbornly staring at his laptop while tapping his fingers against it.

“I guess she was expecting me to stay champion for more than a day,” Thor said, and put his phone down. “She thought I might be upset.”

“She’s not the only one,” Loki muttered. Thor frowned as he looked at him.

“What?”

“I said she’s not the only one.” Loki glanced up at him.

The frown on Thor’s face deepened, and he watched him for a long moment before he spoke up again.

“Wait… What exactly are you angry about?”

“I’m not angry, I’m frustrated.”

“Because?”

“Because you’re not upset!”

“You’re mad at me because I don’t seem upset about losing the title?”

“Yes!” Loki pushed the laptop aside, letting it rest safely on the couch as he pushed himself up on his feet. “You’ve worked for that title for so long, and they made you lose it in twenty four hours. Why isn’t that a bad thing? Don’t you care anymore?”

“Of course I care!” Thor said, his voice getting louder as well he stepped closer to him. “That title has been my goal since I realized I wanted to be a wrestler.”

“But you just brushed it off like it was nothing,” Loki pointed out. “‘I’m fine.’ That’s what you said. That’s what you told your mother, and that’s what you told Sif. That’s what you told _me_.”

“What do you expect me to do?” Thor asked, shaking his head as he watched him. “Do you want me to scream? Do you want me to start breaking things? Throw a tantrum and act like a child until they give it back to me? I knew going into that match that they were about to take the title away from me. I’d already accepted it. Being angry and upset isn’t going to change anything.”

“So that’s it, then? You’ll just accept it?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t tell them to give it back to me! I can’t just tell them I want it back. It doesn't work like that. They want to give Bruce a chance right now, and I get that.”

Loki pursed his lips, shrugging his shoulders and refusing to say anything else. Thor gave him a look, sighed heavily, and shook his head again.

“Fine. Fine, you want me to tell you how I felt yesterday? I walked into that arena thinking I was going to get to be champion for at least a couple of weeks, possibly even months, before they took it away from me. I knew there was a chance they’d be coming for me, but I thought maybe they’d give me a chance with it. Then Fury told me they were going to let Hulk cash in, and I was… disappointed. I was sad about it. I was angry. But only for like a minute, and do you wanna know why? I trust Fury. I trust the people in charge. Do they always make the right decisions? No. Definitely not. I disagree with a lot of things they do, but in this case I get it. I checked my phone earlier. People are still talking about it. _Still_. Which means more people are gonna tune in next week to find out what happens next. This is good. Sometimes…” He trailed off, letting out another sigh before he continued. “Sometimes, you have to think about what’s best for business. Right now, Hulk and Stark having that championship is what’s best for business. I just have to accept that.”

“And where does that leave you?” Loki asked quietly.

The corner of Thor’s lips quirked into a smile, and he walked closer, reaching up to cup the back of his neck.

“That’s what I need to figure out.” He pressed his lips to his forehead, and Loki closed his eyes before he pulled back again. “We can both worry about our careers now.”

While Thor's explanation had made sense to him, Loki still found it difficult to understand why it was so easy for him to accept that everything he had worked so hard for was being taken away from him. He figured Thor knew a lot more about the business than he did, though, and it wasn't up to him to change his mind. Maybe Thor not being upset was a good thing? He could take a step back, like he'd said, figure out another plan, and then come back stronger than ever.

Thor taking a step back came with a lot of changes, though. They watched Smackdown that Thursday, and they started off by showing the clip Thor had shot earlier that week. The commentators informed the viewers the footage was from Raw, and that this had been Thor's reaction after walking backstage. They showed him walking through the hallways, only making it a couple of steps before he picked up a nearby trash can and threw it against the wall with a loud yell. Next, he walked over to a table and flipped it over, the equipment that had been on it falling to the floor. Security guys came over to calm him down, but Thor ignored them, and when they tried to grab him he pushed them away, even going so far as to throw one of them against the wall before he stormed off.

Once it was over, Loki turned his eyes to Thor, who raised his eyebrows and gave him an innocent look.

"You wanted me to get angry, didn't you?"

Just like Thor had predicted, it did feel strange for him not to be on Raw next week. They watched it together, both of them quiet as Hulk and Stark came out to gloat. They mentioned Thor's name, calling him a coward for not being there. While Thor had no visible reaction to their taunts, Loki clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms until he finally had to stand up and walk away. He didn't return until that part of the show was over.

It felt even stranger to be sharing his apartment with Thor. Now, more than ever, Loki was beginning to realize that all of this was real. That this was actually happening. They were really couple, and Thor was really his boyfriend, and at this point it kind of seemed like they had basically moved in together.

Thor didn’t spend every day with him, though. First, he headed down to L.A., back to his own house to pick up some of his stuff. Then, he decided that since he had a lot of time to spare now, he wanted to visit his parents in San Francisco. When he first announced his decision, Loki thought for a terrifying couple of seconds that he was going to ask him to come along, but Thor did no such thing. Clearly, he still thought it was too early to introduce him to his family. Or maybe he simply realized Loki wouldn’t be too fond of the idea. Either way, Loki was relieved. He thought it was way too early to meet Thor’s parents. He hadn’t even known Thor for a whole year yet, and they had only been a couple for a few months. The very idea of meeting Thor’s parents, or of introducing Thor to his brothers, was crazy.  

He didn't have time to join him anyway. He'd received a job offer from a marketing firm earlier that week, and they wanted him to come in for an interview. So once Thor had left that Friday morning, Loki showered, put on a suit, and headed outside to grab a cab.

The interview went well. They seemed interested in him, and Loki was interested as well, mostly because of the amount of money they were willing to offer. As long as he would not be forced to work with a bunch of incompetent idiots, he figured the place would suit him just fine. They seemed like they wanted to hire him on the spot, but Loki hinted that he may need some time to think it over, and they ended up telling him they would contact him again the following week. 

Loki left the meeting feeling rather accomplished, happy that he at least had an option now, and celebrated with a glass of wine later that night.

It was nice to have the apartment to himself for the weekend, though it did not take long before he begrudgingly had to admit he missed Thor. At least a little bit. Or a lot. Loki ended up checking his phone quite a few times, just to make sure there wasn't a missed call or a text. He’d gotten so used to having him around, it was strange whenever he had to eat by himself, or sleep in his bed all by himself.

At least he didn’t have to deal with the loud snoring.

When Thor came back, they were both eager to make up for the time they had spent apart. They quickly headed into the bedroom, both of them pulling at the other one’s clothes in an attempt to get naked as fast as possible. Once they were both sated, they remained side by side on the bed, their breathing slowly returning to normal. 

“I’ve been thinking,” Thor ended the silence a couple of minutes later, sitting up and turning around so that he could look at him. “About my future as a wrestler. I had a lot of time to spare on that plane.”

“And?” Loki raised a brow, giving him a curious look as he pushed himself up a bit as well, leaning against the bedframe.

“And I feel like I need a change.”

Loki blinked, watching Thor as he waited for him to continue. “That’s it?”

“I had to figure out what kind of changes I want to make. After the way I left, there are basically two choices for me, as far as I’m concerned. Either I’m gonna come back as a face, determined to get my title back, or… I let my frustration turn to anger, and I come back as a heel.”

Loki stared at him, his heart beating a little faster at Thor's words. This was the last thing he had expected.

“You… You’re not going to be a face anymore?”

“I don’t know yet,” Thor pointed out, shrugging his shoulders. “I kind of like the idea of coming back, angry at the way I was treated, angry at the way I lost the title. I could take my anger out on my friends, on the audience.” He rubbed his beard, looking like he was lost in thought for a moment. “See, the thing is, I know I can cut a good promo. I know I’m good at the ring psychology. But I still think it would be a challenge, because the audience tends to want to cheer for whoever comes back, and I know they like me. I need to find a way to turn those cheers into boos, to really make them dislike me…" Thor leaned forward, his gaze intent as he continued. "I think I need some help. I think I need _your_ help.”

Loki furrowed his brow, tilting his head to the side. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“I need someone to handle that crowd for me. I need someone who’s good enough with words that he’d be able to change their minds, to turn them against me.”

“Wait, wait…” Loki held up his hands, slowly shaking his head as he stared at Thor. “Are you.. Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

“I want you to be my manager,” Thor said.

Loki was tempted to burst into laughter, but then he realized perhaps Thor wasn’t joking after all. The look on his face was a little too serious. But it had to be a joke, right? Why would he want _him_ as a manager?

“You’re joking, right? Please tell me this is just another one of your bad jokes.” He waited for a response, but Thor simple raised his eyebrows at him, and Loki let out a frustrated huff. “I can’t be a manager. I’m not… I’m not an actor. I’m not a wrestler. I’ve never even taken an acting class.”

“Not many people wrestlers have,” Thor pointed out. “People learn. They learn how to deliver a promo, they learn how to be passionate. You're already halfway there. I’ve heard you talk to Tony. I’ve heard you talk about my matches. I have every reason to believe you’d be able to do a good job.”

Loki kept shaking his head, turning his eyes away from Thor as he wondered if perhaps he should try pinching himself.

“This is crazy,” he mumbled. “I would have understood if you’d asked me to become your publicist. That’s something I could actually do. But your manager? On a wrestling show? You’re insane.”

“But I think that’s exactly what you’d be so good at it,” Thor said, sounding so sure of himself as he leaned forward. “You have a way with words. You know how to market something, you know how to sell something. Now… you’d just have to do the opposite. Convince that crowd to hate me.”

“But…”

“I’m not telling you to decide right now,” Thor said, crawling closer to him until their faces were merely inches apart, reaching out to cup his neck. “Just… think about it. Think about what a great team we’d make. You were looking for something else to do. Maybe this is it?”

“When I said I needed to find something else to do…” His voice broke into a low, almost disbelieving chuckle. “This is not what I had in mind.”

“Is that a no?” Thor asked quietly.

Loki turned his eyes down, considering it for a moment before his eyes flickered back up to Thor's face.

“It’s a maybe. I… I need to think about this.”

“Of course,” Thor said, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “This is a life changing decision. I want you to take your time with it.”

Loki nodded, swallowing as Thor pulled away from him and left the bed. He glanced over at him, waiting for him to exit the room before he reached up, moving his hand to his left arm, and pinched himself.

He was still awake.

 


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have another video for you. This time it's [Deathstrike, Miss America, Spider-Man, and American Alpha.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM8rI_wcGQg) Which is... a new tag team. You'll hear about them in this chapter. My brother bought the new wrestling game, and even though I'm not too happy with the whole body making process, I love that I have more hairstyles and clothes to choose from. In fact, I might remake some of the older entrances and change a few of the videos, just for fun. I've already done Sif and Storm.

Loki was having a hard time coming to terms with Thor’s offer. He had to ask Thor more than once if he was sure about this, just in case it ended up being some stupid joke after all, but Thor always laughed and told him he absolutely meant it.

But even after Thor reassured him, Loki still wasn’t sure if he should believe him. Why would he want _him_ as a manager? He wasn’t qualified to be one. He had no experience. The only thing he knew about wrestling managers he’d learned from watching Stark. That was pretty much it. And he hadn’t even been watching wrestling for a year. He didn’t know what would be required of him, or why WWE would even consider hiring him.

Of course, he had to tell Amora about it. He sent her a text two days later, once he had made sure the offer was genuine and that he was actually considering it.

‘Thor’s asked me to be his manager.’

That’s it. That was all he wrote. He didn’t know what else to say. He got a response about thirty seconds later, Amora asking him if he was serious and what he’d said.

‘I said I needed to think about it.’

She didn’t send him anything else. Apparently, he was on his own.

At least that’s what he thought until there was a knock on the door later that day.

He left Thor in the shower and threw on a pair of sweatpants and the first shirt he could find before hurrying over to the door, surprised to see Amora standing there.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, frowning as he pulled the door open.

“That’s how you choose to greet me?” She shook her head, pushing past him into the apartment. “You could at least say hello or something.”

Loki closed the door and followed her into the living room.

“Hello. Now, what are you doing here?”

“What do you think I’m doing here?” Amora turned around, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him. She looked like she was about to say something else, but didn't have a chance to before the sound of footsteps made them both turn their heads. Thor had just entered the room, dressed in nothing but a pair of boxers. He came to a swift stop when he noticed Amora, and cleared his throat before giving her a smile.

“Hello.”

“See?” Amora glanced at Loki before waving her hand at Thor. “He knows how to greet someone.”

“It’s nice to see you again,” Thor said, and Loki narrowed his eyes when Amora actually had the nerve to lick her lips, her gaze sweeping down Thor's body.

“Oh, the pleasure's all mine. Believe me.”

Thor shared a look with Loki, who waved him off, watching as Thor headed back inside the bedroom to hopefully put some more clothes on.

“You are one very lucky person, Loki,” Amora said, still watching the closed door with great interest. She sighed softly. “He’s so big. _All_ of him.”

“I’m well aware of that,” Loki muttered, pursing his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here because of your text of course.” She smiled, and removed her green coat before handing it to him. “And to see how Thor’s doing. It must suck to lose that championship so quickly.”

“He’s fine,” Loki said, tossing her coat onto the couch before leading her into the kitchen where he could make them some tea.

He was just telling Amora about Wrestlemania when Thor showed up,  pressing a kiss to Loki’s lips before joining Amora at the table.

“That was a great match,” she told him. “It's a shame you didn’t get to keep the belt. You really let me down, you know. I was hoping you’d get to be champion until the Royal Rumble or something.”

“So did I,” Thor said. “But I’ll get it back. One day.”

“Hopefully sooner rather than later,” Loki added, and brought three cups of tea to the table.

Thor proceeded to ask Amora about her honeymoon, telling her the wedding had been amazing.

“Almost perfect,” Loki agreed quietly.

The other two ignored his comment, and Amora went on to tell Thor all about where they had been, and what they had done whenever they managed to leave the bed. Loki sipped on his tea as he listened to her, smiling when Thor’s hand found his thigh underneath the table. It was still strange, to see Thor and Amora interact. It was something he wasn’t sure he would ever get used to. Thor was Thor, but he was also Thor the wrestler, and it was difficult to put that person together with Amora, who had been watching wrestling for a long time. He had never really paid attention whenever she had talked about it, and there was a chance she had mentioned Thor long before he had first seen him. That was strange to think about.

“So,” Amora began once Thor had left them alone to talk, telling them he had some important phone calls to make. “He wants you to be his manager?”

“Yes. Though I don’t know why.”

“Did he tell you why?”

Loki sighed. “He’s turning heel, and he thinks he needs someone to help him.” He told Amora all about what they had discussed, and Amora nodded her head while listening to him, running her fingertips against the side of her cup.

“You are one lucky son of a bitch,” she said once he’d finished. “First you manage to get together with one of the hottest wrestlers in the world, if not _the_ hottest, and now you’re going to be working with him?”

“You’re making it sound like you’ve been dreaming about this for a long time,” Loki pointed out, raising a brow when Amora shrugged her shoulders.

“It’s not like I’ve never thought about what it would be like to be a wrestler. I used to dream about winning the Diva’s Championship.”

Loki rolled his eyes at her.

In the end, he didn’t feel like Amora was much help. She clearly wanted him to take the job, and that was not at all what he needed to hear. He would much rather have had someone help him make a pros and cons list.

As it turned out, Thor was a lot more inclined to do just that, except he seemed to be focusing on the negatives. When they were having dinner that night, he pointed out that Loki would probably make more money if he took the other job he'd been offered. He wouldn't make as much as he was used to as a manager.

“Not at first, anyway. Stark gets more money than most of us, but he’s been on the roster for a long time, and he’s worked his way up.”

That was a good point, and Loki had to admit he wasn’t sure he would be okay with making less money than he had at his last job. It also meant he would be making less money than Thor. He wondered what his brothers would say, though he supposed they would have a lot of opinions about this career move in general, not just about his salary.

That was the next thing Thor decided to talk to him about. The fact that he would become famous. Now, far from everyone in the country watched wrestling, and they could still walk around on the street without a crowd of people recognizing them, but sooner or later he would get recognized. It would also probably make it more difficult for them to hide their relationship. Or maybe not, since this would at least give the two of them a reason to be around each other.

Next, Thor reminded him that this would mean less time spent in New York for him, and less time spent in his apartment. They would be on the road together. A lot.

“It can be about two hundred days on the road a year,” Thor told him as they sat on the couch together, Loki trying to read while Thor was doing something on his phone. “Sometimes more than that. Sometimes it's closer to three hundred. It all depends on how much they use you, but usually you have to come along even if they don’t need you. Sometimes you don’t find out if you're part of the show until an hour before it. You can’t just choose to go home whenever you feel like it.”

“At least I wouldn’t have to work as much as you do,” Loki said, closing the book he was reading and turning his eyes to Thor. “You’re the one who has to wrestle, train, go to the gym, watch what you eat… I’d just be out there to talk.”

Thor chuckled softly, and lowered his phone before meeting his eyes. “I guess that’s true. But something tells me you wouldn’t be caught slacking off. You’d want to be the best manager this company has ever seen.”

Loki shrugged. “As long as I’m better than Stark, I’ll take it.”

“Don’t be too hard on him,” Thor said. “He’s probably the one who’s going to end up getting you this job. If you decide you want it.”

“Stark?” Loki frowned. “What does Stark have to do with this?”

Thor watched him for a moment, sighed, before he spoke up. “Like it or not, he’s got a lot of power, and he’s right at where you want to be. My voice will only get you so far. I’ve already talked to Fury about it, but since you’re my boyfriend… They probably think I’m a bit biased. Stark’s a manager, he knows what they’re looking for. He’s already said he’d be willing to vouch for you.”

Loki pursed his lips, giving Thor a sour look. He didn’t like the thought of owing Stark anything, much less his newfound career. In fact, the thought alone was enough to make him wonder if perhaps it would be a mistake after all. He wanted them to hire him because they believed he could do it, not because Stark told them it would be a good idea. He’d probably just end up being really smug about it, enough so that Loki would want to punch him in the face, and that was a sure way of getting himself fired on the first day.

“Come on, Loki. It’s not that bad. He wants to help. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“If you say so,” Loki muttered. “I just don’t want to be indebted to him.”

“You won’t be,” Thor said, and shook his head. “He’s already told me he doesn’t expect anything in return. I guess maybe he feels bad after taking my championship away from me.”

Loki snorted quietly, and pulled his book ipen again, promptly ignoring Thor as he continued to read. He only got three words in before Thor snatched the book away from him, and Loki narrowed his eyes.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Nothing,” Thor said, holding the book out of his reach as Loki leaned closer to him. “But just so we’re clear, you won’t get this back until you tell me you’re not going to let Stark’s presence affect your decision.”

“You are such an oaf,” Loki told him, and glanced up at the book before meeting Thor’s stubborn eyes. “Fine.” He sighed heavily. “Fine, I won’t think about Stark.”

“Promise?”

Loki tilted his head to the side. “I promise.”

Thor gave him a long look before he returned the book to him. “Good.”

Loki shot him a glare before leaning as far away from him as he could before he returned his attention to the book.

Even though he had promised, it was difficult not to think about Stark having something to do with his decision. Though Loki did his best not to focus on that as he weighed his options. The next time he got some time alone, he opened up a bottle of wine and sat down at his kitchen table with a notepad and a pen in front of him. He wrote down a short list of pros and cons, just the first things that popped into his head, tapping the pen against the table as he read through it.

On the pros side, he had written 'get to spend more time with Thor', 'get to try something new', and 'get to tell Stark to piss off on live TV'.

On the cons side, he had written 'have to spend all my time with Thor', 'have to spend time with wrestlers', 'less pay', 'fame', and 'beneath me'.

As he looked at the list, he knew it was lucky Thor wasn’t home to read it over his shoulder. It was not something he would have wanted him to see. He knew Thor would have been hurt by some of the cons. Like the spending time with him part. Loki didn’t think it was that big of a deal, though. They were already a couple, they already spent a lot of time together. If they started working together as well, they would almost never get any time away from each other. He would almost never get any time to himself. A day here and there was fine, but all the time? Loki wasn’t sure if he was ready for that.

Loki had a feeling Thor also would have had a problem with the last thing on the list. There was nothing Loki could do about it, though. He did consider a career in wrestling to be… slightly beneath him. He’d had a good career so far. He knew he could easily find another job that paid just as well if he wanted to. He already had another offer. To turn that down and become a wrestling manager, someone who wasn’t even the star of the show, but standing behind someone else… Why do that? Why should he give up everything he had worked for for this?

When Loki realized he couldn’t think of any reasons to do so, he picked up the list and left the table, walking into the living room and making himself comfortable on the couch. He turned on the WWE Network, and rubbed his fingers against his jaw as he searched through the archives. With the help of his phone, he managed to find a list of famous managers of the past, and soon enough he was watching old episodes of Raw. He found himself studying the managers promos, and the way they helped their clients. He studied their roles in the storylines, and how they could sometimes be big parts of them. He studied how a good manager could make a great wrestler even better, and how it was usually up to them to steer the audience in the right direction.

He also found himself watching some of Thor’s old matches, trying to figure out what he could have done to help him. Thor already seemed like a complete package, but if he really did want to turn heel, then maybe he did need some help. Maybe Loki could help? He just needed to understand and learn more about the wrestling psychology, though he assumed he would have time to do that. Thor had said he would be gone for a couple of weeks, possibly even months. It had now only been two weeks since he had left Raw, which gave him enough time to figure out how to do this. If he was given the chance. Even if he agreed to do it, they couldn’t be sure the people in charge would say yes.

But did he even want them to?

Loki let his eyes fall to the list in his hands. He spent the next couple of hours staring at it, trying to figure out what to do.

When Thor came back the next morning, Loki wasted no time before dragging him into the bedroom, where they spent most of the day together. Thor didn’t ask him if he’d come to a decision, clearly not wanting to push him, and Loki was grateful because he still wasn’t sure.

He wasn't sure until later that evening, when he was lying on top of Thor, arms spread across his chest as he rested his chin on his wrist.

“I’ve been thinking,” he began. “About your… proposition.”

Thor raised a brow.

“And?” He wasn’t smiling, clearly not wanting to look too hopeful, and Loki swallowed before he spoke up again.

“And… Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s do it,” Loki said, unable not to smile when he saw the grin appear on Thor’s lips. “If you need a manager, I don’t see who else would be able to help you.”

Thor wrapped his arms around him, and before Loki knew it he found himself on his back, blinking up at Thor before he felt his lips against his own.

“I love you,” Thor whispered in between kisses. “I love you, I love you. This is going to be amazing. You’re going to be the best manager the world has ever seen.”

“You don’t have to tell me things I already know,” Loki pointed out. Thor laughed, and leaned down to kiss him again.

And just like that, it had been decided. He would become Thor’s manager. _Hopefully_. Him finally making the decision was just the first part of the long journey of making it happen. Thor called Stark the next morning, and the two of them spent a lot of time on the phone before Thor told Loki they would be flying down to Florida to meet with him.

“We have to get him on board,” he said as he put the phone down. “As long as he's on our side, we should be able to convince Pierce.”

Two days later, they were on a flight to Orlando. Loki had to admit, he was a little nervous. This felt bigger than just any job interview. They might not even give him a chance to prove himself. He wasn’t a former wrestler, after all. He barely knew anything about the business, and he'd only been watching wrestling for a couple of months, which he seriously hoped no one had told Fury about because he felt like that would seriously diminish his chances of getting his approval.

They met up with Stark, who pointed out that since Loki had tried to slap him the last time they had seen each other, he really shouldn’t have been helping him in the first place. He didn’t sound angry, though, just amused, and Loki was already getting annoyed with the smirk on his lips. Smug bastard.

They were called into Fury’s office, and Stark wished them good luck before watching them go. As soon as Loki finally met the Fury guy he had heard so much about, he immediately understood how he could be so respected. He looked like a leader, like someone you could trust, his handshake firm as he greeted Loki. He sat down behind his desk, leaning back in his chair as he listened to Thor, who explained the situation to him. It seemed like the two of them had talked about the possibility of Thor turning heel in the past, and obviously Thor had already let him know he was thinking about having him as a manager.

Thor had talked for quite a few minutes when Fury turned the eye not hidden behind an eyepatch to Loki.

“As much as I appreciate Thor’s enthusiasm, I want to hear from you. What makes you think you’d be good for our company?”

Loki considered his words before he answered, not wanting to simply throw something out there.

“I think I could use my background in PR. I know how to promote something, whether that is a person, a company, or a brand. I would be willing to work hard to turn myself into the kind of manager you would want me to be.”

“How long have you been watching wrestling?” Fury asked, and Loki hesitated.

“Since last year.”

“I see.” Fury put his fingers together, studying him intently, and Loki did his best to look as confident as he could. After what felt like at least a minute, Fury stood back up again, telling them he was going to have a word with Stark as well before he made his decision. Thor thanked him, and Loki shook his hand again before they left the room.

“Don’t worry,” Stark said as they came back. “I got this.” He patted Thor on the shoulder before he walked into Fury’s office, and Loki turned his eyes to Thor as soon as the door had closed behind him.

“Do you think he’ll say yes?”

“I think just the fact that he didn’t say no straight away is a good sign,” Thor said. “And if anyone can convince him, it’s Tony.”

Thor must have been right. Fury called them back inside his office just a few minutes later, Stark standing there with a smug smile on his face as he told them he would give Loki a chance. He was quick to remind them, though, that he wasn’t alone in making this decision. There were still a few people he would have to convince.

“We’ll see how you do at your audition.”

Loki furrowed his brow. He was tempted to ask Fury what he was talking about, but simply threw Thor a quick glance instead.

“Of course,” he said.

“We’ll give you a shot and see where that takes us,” he told Loki, who thanked him. He didn’t thank Stark, though, not until Thor forced him to on their way out of the building. Loki muttered a quiet “Thanks”, and as he glanced over at Stark he had a feeling he would never live it down. He would always get to hear he was the one who had gotten him the job.

“So what’s this about an audition?” he asked Thor as soon as they had gotten a cab.

“I didn’t tell you about that?” Thor gave him a guilty look. Loki narrowed his eyes. “Look, you’re not alone, okay? I had to audition too. We all did, no matter how well known we were before. Unless they explicitly tell you they want you. But I wasn’t big enough for that.”

Loki sighed. “So what do I have to do?”

“You have to do a promo,” Thor told him. “You get one minute, sometimes a little longer, and if that’s enough to convince them…”

“What should I say?” Loki asked. “I’ve never done a promo in my life, what…”

“Just… pretend you’ve already got the part,” Thor said. “Say what you would say if you were my heel manager. What would you tell the fans? The universe? It shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Easy for you to say,” Loki muttered. “Now that you have a manager you don’t need to talk anymore.”

Thor smiled. “I have every intention of talking. But you’ll help.”

Since he would have his audition merely two days later, they saw no reason to head back to New York.

Loki spent a lot of time practicing in the mirror, but forced Thor to leave the hotel room whenever he did. Thor pointed out he would probably be able to give him a few tips if only he’d let him watch, but Loki insisted he wanted to do it on his own. Which was also what he said when the time came for his audition. He didn’t want to remind anyone he was only there because of Thor. He wanted to get there on his own.

Thor still decided to come with him, for moral support, but stayed behind when it was time for the actual audition. He wished Loki good luck, and Loki appreciated the way he squeezed his hand before letting him go. 

Once he was standing there, in front of the camera, with a green screen behind him, he realized he was a lot more nervous than he had first thought. He knew he only had one shot at making a good impression. And he only had a minute to do so.

He cleared his throat, and waited for them to give him a sign to go ahead, before he looked into the camera.

The first couple of words felt slightly strained, and he was all too aware of the people watching him, but he found it much easier to get some passion into his voice once he mentioned Thor. He spoke of the injustices that had been done to him, how one of his dear friends had cost him the championship and how Loki was the only one he could trust, the only one who would never turn his back on him. He spoke of Hulk, and how he should hold onto his title while he still could, and that the two of them would come after him.

“Just wait,” Loki finished. “Because when Thor is in that ring with you, you won’t stand a chance.” As soon as his voice trailed off, he gave the camera a look before turning his eyes away, and only then did he realize he must have spoken for longer than one minute. More like three, or possibly four.

One of the men told him they would get back to him with their final decision as soon as possible, they just had to let Fury review the tape, and Loki nodded his head before thanking them.

“How did it go?” Thor asked as soon as he was back by his side, and Loki hesitated for a moment before he answered him.

“I’m not sure. I got to talk for more than a minute.”

“That’s usually a good sign,” Thor said. “If they didn’t like what they were hearing, they probably would have stopped you after one minute.”

They headed back to the hotel room, and Loki quickly decided he despised having to wait for them to make up their minds. The hours seemed to drag on, and not even Thor was enough to distract him.

They finally got a phone call from Fury the next day. Thor gave Loki a look before answering, and Loki sat on the bed and watched him, holding his breath until Thor gave him a thumbs up, a wide grin spreading across his face. They had officially been given the green light, but Fury reminded them they both had a lot of work left to do before it was time to go live. Thor promised him they would be ready as soon as possible, drawing Loki in for a hug as soon as he had ended the call.

“So this is it,” he said. “Now we just need to make sure you’re ready for this.”

"How hard can it be?" Loki asked, and Thor chuckled as he gave him a tight squeeze.

When it was time for him to sign the contract, Thor asked him to make sure he really, really wanted it. Loki wanted to know if there was any reason he shouldn't want it. He hadn't expected the hesitant look on Thor's face.

"What?"

"I should have told you this sooner." Thor heaved a sigh. "When I first brought it up, they told me they expected us to be professional. They don't want us to use this opportunity to... flaunt our relationship."

Loki blinked, letting his words sink in before he narrowed his eyes.

"Flaunt?" he repeated, shaking his head before he continued. "Wait, let me get this straight... Men and women can have relationships, and they get to kiss as much as they want, and that's fine. But if we were to do it we'd be _flaunting_ our relationship?" Loki should have expected this, but to actually hear it? They had never planned on adding romance to their storyline, and he realized why they wanted to be careful, but it still pissed him off.

"I know," Thor said quietly. "I don't like it any more than you do."

"Fuck them." Loki pressed his lips together.

"Loki, if you don't want to sign that contract..."

"No, I will sign it," Loki said, leaning closer to Thor. "I will sign it, and one day we're going to show them there's nothing wrong with our relationship. We'll make the fans love us no matter what."

Thor smiled, and reached out to cup the side of his neck.

"Then we better work hard."

After they had discussed how to proceed with their training, they decided it would be good for them to stay in Florida. Well, Thor decided. He was the one who pointed out the WWE Performance Center was down there, and it was the best place for them to be right now because he would be able to train, and the two of them would be able to work on promos and building their characters.

Loki headed back to New York, while Thor flew to L.A. They got everything they would need in order to spend a couple of weeks down there, and then returned two days later.

The Performance Center itself was amazing. They had a huge gym, with many types of equipment Loki had never even seen before. They had no less than seven rings in there, some of them made for different purposes. One was a lot softer than the usual ring, and Thor explained that it was meant to make the newer wrestlers more comfortable with the idea of falling or climbing up to the top rope. They also had a ramp, and Thor pulled him over to it, letting him know it was there for them to practice their entrances, and that there were cameras so that the people in charge could watch them whenever they wanted.

“Maybe we’ll give it a try later,” he said. “Show them what we think it should look like.”

He grabbed Loki's arm and pulled him along to a separate room, showing him a green screen with a camera set up in front of it. “This is the promo room. This is where you’ll be practicing. You can shoot whatever you want, and it’s a private room so you don't have to worry about anyone watching you. Then the things you shoot can be edit over there." He pointed to a desk with a large screen on it. "And then you can send it straight to Raw or Smackdown. They’re thinking about showing you before our debut, just to give the audience a hint of what’s to come. We could make that happen right here.”

Loki barely had time to react to what he had just been told before Thor decided to pull him away from there, bringing him into another room, which looked more like an office, several monitors and computer screens sitting on top of two desks, along with some other kind of equipment Loki didn’t know what to make of.

“This is where the commentators down in NXT get to practice. The room is used a lot, but I think we might be able to give you a couple of minutes in here at some point in case you want to give it a try. It might be nice to practice in case they ever want you on commentary while I’m having a match.”

They headed back to where the rings and the gym were located, and Thor took a look around before turning his eyes to Loki.

"So, what do you think?"

Loki took a moment to watch the wrestlers throwing each other around in the rings, distracted by the shouts and sounds of their bodies hitting the aprons.

"I think..." He took a deep breath, and met Thor's eyes with a small smile. "I can't wait to get started."

Luckily, they got started the very next day. Thor, who had clearly been away from the ring for too long, wasted no time before getting inside one, calling out for the other wrestlers to challenge him. One of them quickly headed over before anyone else had time to move, and Loki took a seat close to the ring, picking up the notebook and pen he had brought with him.

Even though it might not have been necessary, he was fully determined to learn the name of every single move in Thor’s arsenal, as well as some other normal moves the other wrestlers could use against him, just in case he would ever end up on commentary. He knew he would never be expected to call out the moves, but he wanted to be aware of what the others were talking about, and correct them in case they ever messed up. It was his job to represent Thor, after all, and he had every intention of doing so correctly.

Whenever Thor wasn’t busying himself watching the NXT people train, giving out helpful advice whenever he thought it necessary, he would jump into the ring himself. It was quite amusing to watch how their eyes widened whenever Thor asked someone to join him. Peter almost stumbled on the ropes when it was his turn, and Loki shook his head before he reached for his notebook.

Since they were in Orlando, home to NXT, they went to a lot of those shows. Loki quickly began to appreciate the more intimate setting. It wasn’t an audience of thousands of people, only a couple of hundred at the most, and the fans felt like a huge part of the show. They were supportive, loud, and came up with a lot of clever chants. After a couple of times, Loki began to recognize most of the wrestlers whenever they returned to the Performance Center. It didn't take him long to know most of them by name, and he actually found it quite exciting to watch them. Most of them were young, but there were also a couple of older, more experienced wrestlers, who were new to WWE, just like him, and had to spend time in NXT before moving on to the main roster.

While they were spending their time down in Florida, a lot of things were happening on Raw and Smackdown. Of course, Thor and he still watched every single episode. Peter, or Spider-Man as he was called in the ring (which Loki still thought was one of the most ridiculous names he had ever heard) was eventually called up to the main roster. Loki and Thor had been there the day they had announced he would be going up, and he had been incredibly nervous.

“What if I get up there and no one knows who I am?” he’d said. “What if there’s no reaction?” But as it turned out, he had nothing to worry about. The response when he first walked out on stage had been huge, and the kids had taken to him straight away.

Cage had been the first to challenge Hulk, but didn't manage to beat him. Cap lost his US title on an episode of Raw, which shocked the hell out of everyone, and he immediately proceeded to go after Hulk, but he didn’t make it either. Bucky and he seemed to be on better terms, and Bucky and Falcon had a couple of segments together backstage before Bucky came out to save Falcon from an attack on Smackdown. Falcon returned the favor by saving Bucky the next week, and before they knew it they were in a tag team match against their attackers. Apparently, the people in charge liked the two of them together enough to make them an official tag team, and it didn’t take long for them to get really popular.

Meanwhile, Thor and he had made plenty of progress. Thor had made the decision to change his move set, at least a little bit, to make it seem more brutal. Loki spent a lot of time watching him, but also a lot of time in the promo room, practicing as often as he could. They wanted to give their entrance a try, but still didn't have any music. Thor had told him they were working on it, and Loki was eager to hear whatever song they would be given.

They returned to their hotel room feeling completely exhausted most nights, both of them climbing into bed to give themselves a chance to rest. On one such night, Thor decided to take his rest away from him by asking something Loki had been hoping they wouldn't have to talk about yet.

"I've been thinking," he began, sitting up so that he could look at him. Loki stubbornly kept his eyes on the ceiling. "When we do this... We'll be spending a lot of time on the road. I barely see my own house as it is. I've been wondering if maybe I should sell it."

He was clearly waiting for some sort of reaction, but Loki remained silent, waiting for Thor to tell him where he was going with this.

"I know you're probably worried about spending that much time with me, and I get it. But I think it would be easier if we had one place to go back to."

Loki closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before he pushed himself up.

"So what are you saying?" he asked, tilting his head as he watched Thor. "You want to move in with me?"

"Or we could find a new place. One we've both paid for. I don't want you to feel like I'm... forcing myself into another part of your life. But I figured since I spend most of my free time in New York anyway..." Thor shrugged his shoulders, letting his eyes fall. Loki quickly moved closer to him, crawling into his lap and slipping his arms around his neck.

"Can I think about it?" he asked. Thor met his eyes.

"Of course," he said, nodding his head.

They finally got to listen to their new theme song a week later. They got to visit the studio where they had recorded it, and Loki was both excited and a little nervous as they sat down to listen to it. He could tell Thor was nervous as well, and he couldn't blame him. A good theme song was usually necessary for a wrestler to get over, and even though the fans already knew who Thor was, a bad theme could easily discourage them, because why would they want to walk out there to something they didn't like?

They pressed play, and Loki tilted his head to the side as the song began. It was relatively slow, with a heavy beat, the kind of song they usually liked to use for the bigger guys. He looked over at Thor, and noticed he was nodding his head along to it, which had to be a good sign. As for Loki, he could see Thor coming out to this song. More importantly, he thought it fit Thor’s new persona. Badass and a threat.

Once the song was over, he met Thor's eyes with a small smile on his face.

“What do you think?” Thor asked.

“I like it," Loki said.

Thor smiled. “So do I.”

And so they had a new song, and they could now start practicing their entrance. They headed back to the performance center, where they got the chance to give it a try. Loki sat down on a chair and let Thor try it on his own a couple of times, suggesting subtle changes to him before Thor motioned for him to join. They tried a couple of different things, but Loki decided he wanted to keep it simple. He didn't want to draw too much attention to himself. It was really about Thor after all.

Thor was eager to pull him closer so that the two of them would walk side by side, but Loki insisted he should walk behind him. They sat down and talked about it, and eventually came to an agreement, deciding it would be a more interesting character development if they started out that way and then maybe later on they could walk next to each other.

“I think it's about control,” Loki pointed out, glancing over at the wrestlers in the rings. “If you walk in front if me I can keep an eye on you, and you'll also be able to protect me if someone's glaring at us from the ring.”

“But what if someone comes at us from behind?” Thor asked with a chuckle.

“Then I assume you'll kill whoever lays a finger on me,” Loki said, lowering his voice as he leaned a little closer. “And that's in character and out.”

Once the entrance had been taken care of, it was time to deal with their outfits. Thor left him alone in the hotel room a couple of times, and Loki assumed he was working on his new costume. Once it came to him, though, Loki already knew what he wanted. A suit. He didn’t want to wear anything that would look stupid. It didn’t fit his character. It didn’t fit _him_. He wanted to wear a simple, black suit.

“I don’t want to look like Stark,” he pointed out. “He can show off if he wants, but I can’t. I just think it should be a black suit with a white shirt. I might go for something other than a black tie, but that’s it.”

“How about a black shirt?” Thor suggested. “You’d look even more evil. You can have a white one when we turn face.”

“You’re already thinking about us turning face?” Loki raised a brow at him, and Thor smiled.

“I have some ideas.”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” Loki pointed out.

"I know," Thor said. "But when it does happen, it's going to be awesome."


	37. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe we're finally here. This is it. The very last part. Once again I'd like to thank everyone who's read this, who's pressed the kudos button, who's left a comment... I appreciate each and every single one of you. I never thought this story would be read by this many people, or that it would be this long. 
> 
> I have one last video to give to you, and that's [Thor's new entrance.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-4GT8P2Rvw&feature=youtu.be). I feel like Loki would never not make sure to button his suit jacket before making his way down the ramp, but most suits make even the tiniest wrestlers look huge, so he had to make do with that one. At least he's there, that's all that counts. 
> 
> The sequel can now be found [here.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9678956/chapters/21858608)
> 
> Enjoy! <3

And so it was time.  

At long last.

Loki had been counting down the weeks, days, and now hours until it was time for him to finally step out on stage.

The fans were already aware of him. He had gotten to record three promos, where he had talked about Thor, and they had all been shown on Raw. He had never mentioned him by name, though. He had simply refered to him as his client. Each time a promo had been played, he had spent some time online, and he was pleased to notice people were already talking about him, wondering who he was and who could be this mystery client. A lot of the guesses were way off, and Loki often found himself snickering as he read through them. If they only knew.

But now they were going to find out, in about… twelve hours. It was eight in the morning, and Loki had just finished putting breakfast on the table. Thor still had not returned from the gym, and he sat down with a glass of orange juice in front of him as he waited for him to come home. When he did, the first words out of his mouth were “So. Nervous?” and Loki scoffed at him.

“Of course not,” he said, pouring tea into Thor’s cup. “This will be easy.”

“Give it time,” Thor said as he took a seat across from him. “The nerves will kick in eventually.”

“Are you _trying_ to make me nervous?” Loki asked, and Thor gave him an innocent smile.

“Honestly, I’d think you were crazy if you weren’t.”

After the two of them had taken separate showers - at Loki’s request, he didn't need any distractions - they changed into normal clothes and headed outside to Loki’s car. Thor offered to drive, and Loki tossed him the keys before loading their bags into the trunk.

It seemed symbolic, in a way, for his first Raw to be taking place in New Jersey. That’s where they had first met. And it was also where Thor had won his championship, so it made sense for him to make his return there.

He picked up his phone and checked a couple of wrestling sites, wondering if there were any rumors about Thor appearing. He couldn’t find any, but he knew they would have to be careful not to run into any fans on their way over there. He also sent a text to Amora, letting her know they were on their way and that she had to make sure to watch the show.

Once they had arrived at the arena, they both put their sunglasses on, though in Thor’s case they would not be able to hide anything. He was too tall and too big not to stand out. Luckily, it seemed like security had been able to keep the fans away from their entrance, and they were able to sneak inside without being seen.

For the next couple of hours, Loki was asked if he was nervous more times than he could count. He always told them no, but it seemed like no one believed him. Or perhaps they thought, just like Thor did, that the nerves would kick in eventually. And perhaps they were right. The closer they got to the actual show, the more nervous he did become. His stomach was in knots, and he didn’t quite know what to do with his hands. Thor seemed to notice, and reached out to put one of his hands over his underneath the table while they were in catering. Loki appreciated the support, and he gave Thor a small smile when no one was looking.

Once the time came for them to change into their respective outfits, they left the others and headed over to one of the empty locker rooms. Loki took his time, changing into the suit that had been made just for him. It suited him perfectly, the black jacket just snug enough and the pants showing off his ass in a flattering yet somewhat subtle way. Not that he wanted anyone but Thor to stare at his ass.

He was just working on his tie when it looked like Thor was done, and Loki glanced over at him, having to stop his fingers as he watched him. Thor looked good. _Great_ , even. Black was a good color on him, and Loki found himself almost hoping he would never turn face again, because he was pretty sure he liked the black better than the blue. At least for now.

When Thor caught him staring, Loki hastily averted his eyes, turning his attention back to the tie. Thor came over, wrapping his big arms around him, and Loki leaned back as soon as he was finished.

“You look amazing,” Thor said, and Loki smirked at him through the mirror.

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

Thor chuckled at that, and leaned in to press several kisses to his neck. Loki let it go on for a couple of seconds before he pulled back, stepping away from Thor as he reminded him that they were at work now, and that it was inappropriate.

“Does that mean I shouldn’t be staring at your ass right now?” Thor asked. Loki stopped, and threw a look at him over his shoulder.

“No, by all means. Stare as much as you want. While you’re at it, you could always think about what you want to do to this ass when we get home tonight.”

“Do you want me to go out on stage with an erection?” Thor asked, and Loki shrugged.

“It would certainly make for interesting television.”

They weren’t the first ones up, though. Peter had been chosen to start the show, and he seemed very nervous about it, pacing back and forth in the hallway while waiting for his turn. Loki and Thor passed him on their way back from the locker room, and Thor pulled himself away from Loki to assure him he would do fine.

“Are you sure?” Peter asked. “This is a huge responsibility. What if I can’t-”

“You’ll be fine,” Thor told him again, putting a hand on his shoulder. “They already love you. Just go out there and do what you do best.”

“I’m not sure what that is at the moment,” Peter admitted with a sheepish look on his face. Loki shook his head.

“At least you’ve done this before,” he said, and the other two turned to look at him. “If anyone should be nervous here it’s me. Thor’s right, they already love you. The only difference is you’ll be the first one out there. That’s it.”

Peter nodded. “You’re right,” he said, still nodding as though he was trying to convince himself. “Thanks.” He turned around to walk away, then stopped and turned back to him. “And good luck by the way. I don’t know if you’re supposed to say that, but… Yeah.”

Loki gave him a nod, slowly turning his eyes back to Thor when Peter was gone.

“Is that going to be me in an hour?” he asked, and Thor wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in so that he could press a kiss to his forehead.

“Maybe. But I’ll do my best to calm you down.”

“My hero,” Loki muttered.

The waiting was probably the worst part. Loki had already been waiting for weeks. At this point, he just wanted to get it over with. He wanted to prove to everyone he could do it, that they hadn’t made a huge mistake by hiring him. Of course, he also wanted to prove it to his brothers, to Amora, and to Thor. He could be a manager, they just needed to give him a chance. Those thoughts didn’t stop the nerves from kicking in, though, just like Thor had predicted they would.

They watched as Peter went out there, having a great match against Rhyno. Karnilla and Sif were next, and then the time had come for Bucky and Sam to have a match against another tag team. Thor and Loki would finally have their segment once that match was over, and Loki let out a shaky breath as he watched them head out on stage together.

“We’re up next,” Thor said, pushing himself up from his chair, and Loki swallowed before joining him. They were wished good luck, but Loki barely acknowledged the voices around him as the two of them left the cafeteria and headed through the hallways. Once they were standing by the steps leading up to the stage, Loki took a deep breath and glanced up at Thor, who looked a little less nervous than he assumed he did.

“You’ll be fine,” Thor told him, and Loki raised a brow.

“Fine?” he repeated. “That’s not good enough. I need to be amazing.”

“You will be. _We_ will be amazing.”

Loki nodded, shutting his eyes when he heard the bell ring out there, signalling the end of the match, and the music begin to play.

“Almost time,” Thor pointed out quite uselessly, as if Loki wasn’t already well aware of that. He nodded again, throwing a look behind himself before he gave him a small smile.

The other tag team strutted past them, and then Sam and Bucky showed up two minutes later.

“Hey, first time,” Sam said, looking hot and sweaty as he grinned at Loki. “How’s it feeling?”

“Ask me again when I get back,” Loki said, and the two of them chuckled.

“Good luck out there.” They left them alone, and Loki took another deep breath as someone came over to remind them they were up next. He turned his eyes to Thor, who gave him a smile.

“I love you."

"I love you too,” Loki said, licking his lips before he leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"See you out there."

He turned around, heading up the steps while trying to ignore his own heart, which was beating furiously inside his chest. There was no music for him to wait for. Instead, someone motioned for him to go, and Loki took one final breath before he pushed past the curtain, stepping around the corner and out onto the stage.

It instantly took his breath away. There was not much of a reaction, which he hadn’t expected anyway, but there were people _everywhere_ , looking at him, and even though he couldn’t see their faces, the rush of adrenaline washing over him was almost overwhelming.

Loki could only hope he looked calm and put together as he began to walk, reminding himself to put one foot in front of the other as he made his way down the ramp, ignoring the people closest to him. He could hear shouts from somewhere around him, but he didn’t stop to wonder what they were saying. Instead, he climbed up the steps, ducking under the middle rope and stepping into the ring.

He was incredibly grateful for not stumbling on his way in there.

Finally standing there, inside the ring, as thousands of people turned their eyes to him was probably the most incredible thing he had ever experienced, and Loki knew he only had about a second or two to take it all in before he would have to speak. He cleared his throat, swallowing once, twice, before he raised the microphone to his lips.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began. “My name is Loki, and I am here to introduce you to my client."

He barely got a chance to continue before the audience chanted a loud “What?” at him, and Loki lowered the microphone a bit as he paused. Damn. He hated that stupid chant. Not that he was the least bit surprised to hear it. If they could shout it at established superstars, people they loved, they could certainly shout it at him. They didn’t even know him yet.

“My client is someone who wants to reclaim his rightful place in this company. He is someone who wants revenge.” There was that damn “What?” again. Loki pursed his lips.

“My client wants revenge-”

“What?”

“Because of the way he was treated.”

“What?”

“My client is-”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, are all of you too stupid to understand English?” Loki snapped, and was immediately met with loud booing. “It certainly seems that way. Is ‘what' the only word you know?”

“What?”

Loki rolled his eyes. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. They warned me there would be plenty of idiots in this audience, but this is on a whole other level.”

The boos were louder this time, and Loki could do nothing to hide the smirk on his face as he continued.

“Now, where was I, before I realized this city is filled with nothing but morons. As if I wasn’t aware of that already.” The boos grew even louder, and Loki raised a brow.

“I am sure my client would rather come out here and deal with you himself. He has been waiting a long time for this, and he has quite a few things to say to all of you. Let’s bring him out, shall we?” Loki turned around, and took a couple of steps closer to the ropes, holding his free arm out.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, my client…”

Loki lowered his microphone, and waited - his hand trembling slightly - for the music to begin.

When it did, Thor finally stepped out onto the stage, and Loki's heart lept at the sight of him. Thor kept his head down as he made his way to the front, his hands clenched into fists by his sides. The reaction from the crowd was loud, some cheering while others sounded nothing but confused. As he watched, Loki nearly forgot where he was, too focused on Thor to think about much else.

Thor tilted his head up, not a trace of a smile on his face as he began to make his way down the ramp, slowly, without looking at the people closest to it.

As he walked, he looked powerful. Strong. Dangerous. Loki’s lips quirked into another smirk, and he was sure his eyes were shining brightly as he watched Thor come down to the ring, come down to where he was waiting for him.

Thor went up the steps, climbing into the ring and taking a sweeping look around the arena before he turned his eyes to Loki. Loki was sure that underneath that serious look, Thor was dying to smile at him, to laugh and show him how happy he was to be there with him, that they had finally made it. But Thor was a good actor, and he showed no signs of wanting to smile as he looked at him. Instead, there was a moment of understanding, something familiar passing between the two of them, something that told Loki he had made the right decision, before they moved back. Thor gave him a nod, grabbing the microphone as soon as Loki handed it over. They both turned to face the audience. 

It was showtime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you've enjoyed the fic, I would be forever grateful if you would consider buying me a coffee. Or hot chocolate, since I'm not a fan of coffee. [Link to my ko-fi here.](http://ko-fi.com/B0B66835) I'm a poor person who really should've written something I could actually publish...


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